Homemade mozzarella and fig salad

A beautiful salad drizzled with balsamic and served with homemade mozzarella.

• serves

  4

• prep

  10 minutes

• cook

  15 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 250 ml balsamic vinegar
• 75 g caster sugar
• 40 g currants
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 1 cinnamon quill
• 1 bunch asparagus
• 2 cups sugar snap peas
• 2 cups mint
• 2 cups basil leaves
• 1 punnet red vein sorrell
• 6 homemade mozzarella balls, torn
• 2 figs, halved
• toasted homemade sourdough, to serve

Cooling time 30 minutes

Instructions

Place the balsamic vinegar, caster sugar, currants, fennel seeds and cinnamon quill in a saucepan. Place over medium heat, bring to a simmer and cook for 12 minutes or until reduced. Set aside and cool. Meanwhile, blanch the asparagus and sugar snap peas in a saucepan of boiling water, remove and refresh in cold water. Using a vegetable peeler, slice asparagus spears lengthwise. Slice open peas. Arrange on a plate with the mint, basil, sorrell, mozzarella and figs. Drizzle with dressing and serve with a slice of toasted sourdough.

Photography Brett Stevens

As seen in Feast magazine, October 2013, Issue 25. 

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.