It's 3am, the shops are closed and you urgently need to make a caprese salad. There's basil growing in the garden, right next to the tomato plant but you open the fridge and disaster! No mozzarella.
DO NOT PANIC!
Ok, so you need something acidic (I used powdered Citric Acid dissolved in water) and a curdling agent (diluted liquid rennet) but in around half an hour you can turn any ol' milk into delicious mozzarella.
The basic procedure is:
1) Start warming milk in a pot
2) Add Citric acid solution and stir gently until milk reaches 90F
3) Remove from Heat, add rennet and stir just enough to mix
4) Cover and allow milk to Rest until it curdles
5) Cut through curds in a grid pattern
6) Slowly heat to 108F, stirring gently to agitate
7) Remove from heat and rest
8) Transfer curds to a microwave-proof bowl using a slotted spoon
9) Pour off any juice (whey) which collects in the bowl
10) Nuke it in the microwave for about 30-60 seconds
11) Drain whey again
12) Blip in microwave to bring internal temperature to 135F
13) Salt the cheese and prod in with fingers
14) Pick up top of ball and with luck it will stretch under its own weight
15) Fold and knead a couple of times, then...
16) SAY CHEESE!
