# Rec:Grilled Mozzarella Bundles



## Piccolina (Oct 10, 2005)

[font=verdana, geneva, helvetica]*A wee bit of work, and quite a few ingredients but this is a sure-fire crowd stopper every time!!

Grilled Mozzarella Bundles*[/font]  

 *Ingredients

* PESTO
2 large garlic cloves peeled 
1/2 cup walnuts 
1/2 tsp salt 
2 cup fresh basil leaves, lightly packed
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil plus more

SUN-DRIED TOMATO SAUCE
12 dry-packed sun-dried tomato halves 
1/4 cup pesto from above 
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil 
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar 
Salt to taste 
Freshly-ground black pepper to taste

BUNDLES
8 large radicchio leaves 
8 ounces fresh mozzarella cut into 8 slices 
8 (4 to 6 oz) thin prosciutto slices 
Olive oil for brushing 
8 pieces cotton kitchen string, each 8 inches long
 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts for garnish  

*Instructions

* To make Pesto: 
With motor running in food processor fitted with steel blade, drop garlic through feed tube to mince it. Stop machine, add walnuts and salt, and coarsely chop nuts. Add basil and process until finely chopped. With machine running, pour olive oil through feed tube and process to a puree. Use at once, or store in airtight container in refrigerator. Cover pesto with layer of olive oil to keep color bright green. Makes 1-1/2 cups. 

  To make Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce:
Place tomatoes in a bowl, cover with hot water and let plump for 20 minutes. Drain and finely chop tomatoes. Place in a bowl and add 1/4 cup pesto, oil, vinegar, and salt and pepper. Blend with whisk or in food processor. Set aside. 

  To make bundles: Prepare a hot fire in a grill. 

 Place a large pan of water over high heat and bring to boil. Blanch radicchio by dipping leaves into boiling water for 5 seconds. Remove with tongs and plunge into bowl of ice water. When cool, remove leaves and place on paper towels to drain. They should be limp and pliable. 

 Wrap each mozzarella slice in a slice of prosciutto. Wrap bundles with radicchio, enclosing completely. Secure each bundle with string and brush with oil. Grill bundles for about 3 minutes each side, or until nicely browned, turning with tongs or a spatula, so as not to pierce them. 

  Transfer to a heated platter. Drizzle with sauce and sprinkle with pine nuts. Serve warm. 

  Yield: 8 servings


*~Enjoy~*
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## Brianschef (Oct 14, 2005)

This sounds heavenly, but am wondering if you could just freeze the head of raddichio, overnight.  That is what I do instead of blanching, then dipping in ice water, then draining.  The freezing breaks down the fibers in the same way, but is less work.    Have you ever used this method?


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## urmaniac13 (Oct 14, 2005)

This is a wonderful idea Jess... I can almost taste the wonderful contrast of the mildness of mozz and the slight bitterness of radicchio... something special to serve on a special occasion!!


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## Piccolina (Oct 14, 2005)

Brianschef said:
			
		

> This sounds heavenly, but am wondering if you could just freeze the head of raddichio, overnight. That is what I do instead of blanching, then dipping in ice water, then draining. The freezing breaks down the fibers in the same way, but is less work.  Have you ever used this method?


I've never tried this! My one at only attempt at intentionally freezing lettuce (ahhh, to think all the things I experimented with when I had my first kitchen as a teenager - lol!) did not end on a positive note - the freezing seemed to warp the lettuce and I ended up composting it.

Perhaps radicchio would work because it is a much, much crisper lettuce than icceberg to begin with - I'll have to give this a try. Thanks for the tip Brianschef


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## urmaniac13 (Oct 14, 2005)

Lettuces are certainly not for freezing, I ruined too many of them when they got pushed too far back in the fridge... I have not tried freezing radicchio yet but it may work, as the consistency is much similar to cabbage, and I have frozen cabbages before and they held themselves well!!


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## Piccolina (Oct 14, 2005)

urmaniac13 said:
			
		

> Lettuces are certainly not for freezing, I ruined too many of them when they got pushed too far back in the fridge...


Me too! LOL, that's why in my first post I said "intentionally froze"


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## Marishka_20 (Oct 15, 2005)

*Sounds Delicous*

I will have to make it for my family sometime. They'll love it. Thank You for the great idea.


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