Recipe video above. My favourite burrata recipe - Bursty Tomato Burrata Salad. Juicy roasted cherry tomatoes, creamy burrata cheese, dollops of pesto, swish of olive oil and crusty bread. Simple, luscious, rustic perfection. Gorgeous appetiser or light meal that's not too expensive to make.Finishing with pesto takes this over the top but it's still worth making even without. But whatever you do, don't forget bread for mopping!
200g/ 6 ozx 1 fresh burrata cheese(Aus: Paesanella is my go-to, Note 1)
1/4cupbasil pesto, preferably homemade, recommended but not essential (Note 2)
Roasted tomato:
500g/ 1 lb (4 cups)cherry or grape tomatoes
2tbspextra virgin olive oil
2tbspeschalot, finely chopped (US: shallot), ~1/2 small (Note 3 subs)
1/2tspcooking/kosher salt
1/4tspblack pepper
2tspsherry vinegar(or apple cider or red wine vinegar)
Serving:
1/2tspsalt flakes(or half the quantity for cooking/kosher salt) (Note 4)
1tbspextra virgin olive oil, a good one is best, for finishing
Few fresh basil leaves, for sprinkling (Note 2)
Warmed crusty bread, for mopping
Instructions
De-chill - Take the burrata out of the fridge and leave on the counter for 30 minutes, to take the fridge-chill out of it. Keep it in the water in the tub.
Roasted tomatoes:
Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F (180°C fan).
Roast 10 min - Toss the cherry tomatoes with the olive oil, eschalot, salt and pepper (in a bowl, or on a tray). Spread on a tray. Roast 10 minutes until softened but not collapsing.
Vinegar - Gently push the tomatoes to one end of the tray. Drizzle over vinegar. No need to mix.
Assembling:
Tomatoes - Carefully transfer tomatoes to a plate, spreading them out in a single layer.
Burrata - Gently (GENTLY!!) drain the water out of the tub and roll the burrata out into your hand. Place a burrata on top of tomatoes.
Finish - Drizzle the 1 tablespoon of good extra virgin olive oil all over the plate. Dollop pesto randomly all over. Sprinkle with salt flakes and basil.
Nominate a person to do the cutting honours. Break into the burrata with a serving spoon. Let the centre ooze out. Make sure you scoop up a bit of everything, pile onto bread and eat! Don't forget to mop the plate clean. The juices are the best part.
Notes
1. Burrata - wobbly ball of Italian cheese with a thin mozzarella shell and a creamy centre that oozes out when you cut into it. Creamy mouthfeel with a pretty mild flavour like mozzarella - it's more about what you serve it with. Burst roast tomatoes with a good swish of olive oil and nice sprinkle of salt is an excellent pairing. If you add pesto, it takes it over the top!FIND IT in the fridge section of most grocery stores these days, sold in tubs, the burrata is in water. My go-to brand is Paesanella which is widely accessible these days, ~$6.Not to be confused with fresh mozzarella or bocconcini, they are not oozy inside.Not all burratas are created equal. Good ones have an oozy centre. Cheap ones do not!2. Pesto - As per Note 1, this recipe is excellent even without pesto. With pesto, it is even better! Same with basil leaves.If skipping the pesto, sprinkle the roasted tomatoes with a good amount of finely sliced basil. No fresh basil? Roast the tomatoes with 1/2 tsp of dried herbs (Italian mix, or oregano). YUM!3. Eschalots (called shallots in the US) are the baby onions that are more delicate and not as harsh as ordinary onions. Sub with red onion, the white part of green onions, or 1 large garlic clove finely minced.4. Sea salt flakes - a posher flaky type of salt which is a good finishing salt. Just more delicate, lighter spreading of salt across dishes. Because of the shape, 1/2 tsp salt flakes = 1/4 tsp salt grains. So if you don't have flakes, use half the amount.Leftovers will keep for a couple of days but this is a dish best eaten freshly made. To take it somewhere, keep all the components separate and serve the tomatoes at room temp (never cold!). See pesto recipe for storage tips so it doesn't go brown.Nutrition per serving assuming 4 servings.