Roulade

We made our own mozzarella cheese from cheese curds and made a roulade with prosciutto and fresh basil.

The first step was tearing the cheese curds into chunks

Water was heated until close to simmering, poured over the curds, and worked with our hands until smooth. We had a plastic wrapped half sheet pan which we spread the still-warm cheese over to form a rectangular layer. We then layered the cheese with prosciutto and basil on top.

Freshly sliced prosciutto

Prosciutto layer

Basil layer

I rolled up the cheese as tightly as possible, sealing the roll with plastic wrap and dunking the closure seam into hot water to meld the cheese together. A small amount of cheese on the top of the roulade did not have any layers on it to help seal the cheese better.

Roulade ready to seal

Vertical view

The cheese was left overnight to set. The next day, it was unwrapped, sliced and plated.

Final plating

Prep: The water needed to be very hot in order for the cheese curds to melt together. We kept a bowl of ice water out to dip our hands into to keep our hands from getting too hot while handling the cheese. Making the roulade was no problem, although I will try to roll the cheese layer tighter for next time.

Presentation: I experimented with different plating designs before deciding on a circular, layered pattern which creates more depth and visual flow.

Taste: The cheese has a mild creamy taste which meshes well with the salty prosciutto and fresh basil.

Overall: The roulade has many options for fillings and the pinwheel shape is visually appealing and can be arranged in different ways. I would definitely make this dish again.