My childhood memories of mozzarella are limited to the rubbery goo found on supermarket pizzas. As well as providing a workout for the jaw, I also remember that this “gourmet” cheese didn’t seem to taste of very much - all a bit confusing when I was being told that Italian food was one of the world’s great cuisines…

Things have moved on a lot since then, and one of my greatest pleasures in life is tearing my way through a stringy ball of artisan mozzarella, made from the creamy milk of a contented buffalo. It is also much easier to find great examples at farmers markets and supermarkets even in the darkest corners of the UK. One beautiful example, if you can’t afford the trip to Italy, is made at Laverstoke Park by Jody Scheckter. This creamy lump of loveliness is one of those ingredients that demands to be served “au naturelle”, with as little cheffy fussiness as possible…although a a chilled glass of pinot grigio will definitely help…

Try it as part of this caramelised fig, mozzarella and prosciutto salad