To cut fresh mozzarella and tomatoes for caprese, drain the mozzarella, pat it dry and chill it until firm, then slice it into rounds about a quarter inch thick with a sharp, thin knife. Core the tomatoes and slice them across the middle to the same thickness, using a serrated knife if the skin resists. Salt the tomato slices, alternate them with the mozzarella, tuck in torn basil, and finish with olive oil and black pepper.
Matching the thickness is the whole technique. A caprese is three ingredients and no cooking, so a thick slab of cheese beside a thin slip of tomato is impossible to hide. Even rounds make each bite the same: one slice of each, one leaf of basil.
The three ingredients
Caprese is named after the island of Capri, in the Bay of Naples. At its simplest it is sliced fresh mozzarella, tomatoes and basil, seasoned with salt and olive oil, and its green, white and red are the colors of the Italian flag.
With so few ingredients, each one has to be good.
Mozzarella. Use fresh mozzarella, the soft kind sold packed in liquid, not the firm low-moisture block meant for pizza. Fior di latte is made from cow’s milk; mozzarella di bufala is made from the milk of the Italian buffalo. Either works. Buy the largest ball you can for slicing.
Tomatoes. Ripe, deep-colored and heavy for their size. Beefsteak and heirloom tomatoes give wide slices that match a large ball of mozzarella. Out of the main tomato season, ripe vine tomatoes or a mix of cherry tomatoes are a better bet than pale slicers.
Basil. Fresh, green and unwilted. Large, tender leaves are the easiest to tuck between slices.
Prepare the mozzarella
Fresh mozzarella is very soft and wet, which is what makes it good and what makes it hard to slice.
- Drain it. Lift the ball out of its brine or whey and let it drain in a strainer for a few minutes.
- Pat it dry. Roll it gently in a paper towel. A dry surface keeps it from sliding on the board.
- Chill it. Cold mozzarella is firmer and slices cleanly. Keep it in the refrigerator until you are ready to cut.
If one side of the ball is flatter, set it on that side. If not, slice a thin cap off the bottom to give it a stable base.
Slice the mozzarella
Use a sharp, thin-bladed knife: a slicing knife, a long chef’s knife or a serrated tomato knife. A thick, dull blade presses down on the cheese and squashes it before it cuts.
Hold the ball lightly with your fingertips curled under, like a claw, and draw the knife through in one long stroke rather than pressing straight down. Aim for rounds about a quarter inch thick. Thinner slices tear; thicker ones overwhelm the tomato.
Wipe the blade on a damp towel between slices if it starts to drag. The milky liquid that comes out of the cheese is normal. How to slice cheese for a board covers other soft cheeses that behave the same way.
Smaller shapes
Fresh mozzarella also comes in smaller balls. Ovolini are about the size of a hen’s egg, and bocconcini are roughly bite-sized. Halve bocconcini and toss them with halved cherry tomatoes for a caprese salad in a bowl. Slice ovolini into coins and pair them with small round tomatoes.
Slice the tomatoes
Rinse and dry the tomatoes, then cut out the core with the tip of a paring knife, angling the blade in a small cone around the stem.
Lay each tomato on its side and slice across the middle into rounds, the same quarter inch as the mozzarella. A serrated knife bites through the skin without pressing down on the soft flesh. A very sharp chef’s knife works too. How to slice tomatoes for sandwiches covers the same cut in more detail, including how to keep the end pieces.
Lay the slices out in one layer and salt them lightly. Salt draws out some of the juice and seasons each slice. Let them sit for a few minutes, then blot off the liquid that collects or tip it off the board.
Arrange it
Alternate the slices in a row, a ring or a loose fan: tomato, mozzarella, tomato, mozzarella, each overlapping the one before by about a third. Tuck a basil leaf between some of the pairs.
Basil is traditionally torn by hand rather than cut. Tear the larger leaves in half and leave the small ones whole. If you prefer to cut it, use a sharp knife and cut right before serving; how to chop fresh herbs shows how to slice basil into thin ribbons without bruising it.
Finish with a pinch of flaky salt on the mozzarella, a grind of black pepper and a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. In Italy caprese is often served without vinegar. If you like balsamic, offer a thick reduction on the side rather than pouring thin vinegar over the whole plate.
Serving it on a board
Caprese laid out on a wooden board looks generous and keeps the slices in neat rows. The WONAMU. acacia cutting board is 12 by 9 inches, room for a large tomato and a full ball of mozzarella in two overlapping rows, and its perimeter juice groove holds the tomato juice and olive oil that run off the slices. Wipe it, wash it in warm soapy water and dry it on its edge afterward.
Fresh mozzarella is a perishable food. For a buffet or a backyard dinner, the FDA’s limit for perishables left out is 2 hours, or 1 hour when it is above 90°F. Arrange the caprese shortly before serving, and set out a second board later rather than leaving one out all evening.
Make ahead, or not
Caprese is best assembled close to serving. You can slice the mozzarella an hour or two ahead and keep it covered in the refrigerator. Slice and salt the tomatoes up to about half an hour ahead. Tear the basil last, so the edges stay green.
Leftover sliced mozzarella keeps best submerged in its own liquid in a covered container in the refrigerator. Fresh mozzarella is traditionally eaten the day it is made, so the sooner the better.
The short version
Drain, dry and chill the mozzarella, then slice it a quarter inch thick with a sharp, thin knife in one long stroke. Core the tomatoes and slice them to the same thickness with a serrated knife, then salt and blot them.
Alternate the slices, tuck in torn basil, and finish with flaky salt, black pepper and olive oil. Serve it within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F.
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WONAMU. makes an acacia cutting board, 12 × 9 inches, acacia, with a perimeter juice groove. Available on Amazon.
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