Go Back

Bocconcini & Pickled Cherry Skewers

Leslie Orlandini
Bite-size bocconcini (mozzarella balls) and quick-pickled fruit make perfect hors d’oeuvres to serve with cocktails. You’ll need about two dozen 4- or 5-inch bamboo skewers for this recipe. Plan ahead to make the pickled cherries, as they’ll need to sit in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours before use.

Ingredients
  

PICKLED CHERRIES

  • 1 cup white wine vinegar
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
  • 2 strips orange zest
  • 1 stick cinnamon
  • teaspoons mustard seeds
  • 1 bay leaf
  • ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 1 pound red cherries

SKEWERS

  • 1 pint bocconcini mozzarella 1-ounce balls
  • ¼ pound thinly sliced prosciutto
  • 24 medium-size fresh basil leaves washed
  • 24 ½- inch-thick toasted baguette slices

Instructions
 

  • PICKLED CHERRIES: In a medium nonreactive saucepan, combine vinegar, sugar, salt, orange zest, cinnamon, mustard seed, bay leaf, and crushed red pepper. Bring to a boil over medium heat.
  • While pickling liquid comes to a boil, de-stem and pit cherries (keep whole) using an olive or cherry pitter. Do this over a bowl to catch juices. Discard pits and combine collected juice and cherries in a glass or ceramic jar or bowl.
  • When liquid comes to a boil, pour over cherries. Let come to room temperature, then place a piece of plastic or small plate on the surface of the liquid, to keep cherries submerged. Refrigerate, storing 8 hours to 1 week.
  • SKEWERS: With a slotted spoon, transfer bocconcini mozzarella from container to a plate. Using the same spoon, transfer cherries from pickling liquid to a separate plate. Cut prosciutto slices in quarters.
  • Pair each pickled cherry with a piece of prosciutto and each mozzarella ball with a basil leaf. Skewer one of each set. Rest each skewer on a baguette slice and serve immediately.