A Blank Slate – Marinated Bocconcini

Some foods are a blank slate; they are a vehicle for other flavors. Take escargot, for example. They’re probably not too exciting on their own, but as a way to get your fix of garlic butter, they can’t be beat. Boneless, skinless chicken breast and most varieties of flaky, white fish are not all that flavorful, but they are a great way to serve a fancy sauce. Cheese and crackers? It’s rarely the cracker itself that attracts attention. They are just a vehicle for the cheese.

Speaking of the cheese category, fresh mozzarella is similar; as cheeses go, there’s not a whole lot of flavor there. Barring its exceptional texture, fresh mozzarella is like the white bread of cheeses. That’s not to say I don’t love it. It is perfect in a Caprese salad with the ripest of summer tomatoes picked fresh from the garden and topped with basil leaves and olive oil. It’s delicious, melted on homemade pesto pizza or mashed potato pizza. And marinated bocconcini (superball-size balls of fresh mozzarella – literally “little mouthfuls”) are an almost essential part of an antipasto platter. In each of these cases, the fresh mozzarella provides a chewy and creamy blank slate, to take on the flavors around it.

Purchased in almost any supermarket and certainly in an Italian pork store, when marinated in olive oil, crushed garlic, parsley, and salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes, bocconcini become flavor bombs, popped in your mouth followed by a bite of crusty Italian bread. The mozzarella balls provide the backbone of the dish, while the marinade is the flavor.

This simple antipasto shows us that we should not minimize foods that provide a blank slate. We need to understand their role in a recipe and that it’s okay to use them to show off other, more flavorful ingredients that will make the whole dish shine.

Marinated Bocconcini

These marinated mozzarella balls are about as simple as it gets. They should be prepared ahead of time, ready to pull out of the refrigerator and serve in a moment’s notice for unexpected guests, as a bite while you are preparing a larger dinner, or as part of an antipasto platter.

makes ½ lb., about 10 minutes, plus marinating time

½ lb. bocconcini

2 Tbsp. good quality extra virgin olive oil

1 clove garlic, crushed

2 Tbsp. fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste

¼ tsp. kosher salt

¼ tsp. fresh ground black pepper

1. Drain liquid from bocconcini and dry them carefully with a paper towel. Set aside in a small bowl.
2. In a separate small bowl, whisk together all marinade ingredients. Taste and add more salt, pepper, or crushed red pepper flakes as needed.
3. Add marinade to bocconcini and stir gently to combine. Set aside to marinate for at least 15 minutes, in refrigerator if for a longer period of time. Bring to room temperature before serving.

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