Tag: Burrata

A SAVOURY COEUR À LA CRÈME to accompany a summer fresh tomato salad or summer vegetables

It is summer and time to celebrate good tomatoes and a good tomato salad is a perfect way to accompany a savoury coeur à la crème.

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I like making tomato salads like my parents used to make – with tomatoes, celery, fresh onion, basil or oregano, salt and good extra virgin olive oil.

And as the mood takes me, I sometimes like to accompany a tomato salad with one of the following simple dairy trimmings, like: bocconcini or mozzarella,  treccia,  ricotta, straciatella , burrata or marinaded feta or a panna cotta made with feta or gorgonzola.

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Cœur à la crème with a tomato salad to accompany and decorate it

Including the protein makes an excellent starter …..or as my parents did – eat a tomato salad with ricotta or bocconcini for lunch almost every day of summer.

I was in Gippsland yesterday and visited Bassine; they make a range of cheeses on the premises.

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Bassine Quality cheeses

I have been there before and have purchased various cheeses, but yesterday I came home with some quark and thought that would experiment and make a savoury coeur à la crème. 

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Coeur à la crème is usually served with berries but I thought that I could accompany my savoury coeur à la crème with a tomato salad. Alternatively roasted (or charred) peppers or  slow roasted baby tomatoes would also be great… or fried red peppers (peperonata) or lightly sautéed  zucchini and mint could be terrific…I could go on.

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Mould to drain and shape Mould to drain and shape the Cœur à la crème.the Coeur a la creme

You need muslin and a mold or container that allows drainage. I used a traditional ceramic, heart shape dish for making a coeur à la crème, but any container that is perforated with holes to drain off the excess moisture of the cheese or a colander can be used as an alternative.

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I used the following ingredients:

INGREDIENTS

250 gm each quark, 1 cup of Greek yogurt, 100g of marinaded feta, fresh thyme leaves ground pink peppercorns, 1 peeled clove of garlic, ½ cup pf milk, ½ cup good quality olive oil.

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Ingredients – quark,  Greek yogurt,  marinaded feta, fresh thyme 

PROCESSES

In a small sauce pan warm the milk over low heat. Remove from heat and let steep for 30 minutes and then strain out.

Combine cheeses and yogurt – you want the mixture fairly smooth so use a food processor or work it with a spoon.

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Add the thyme,  ground pink peppercorns and infused milk. 

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Line the mould with muslin (enough to cover the mold) and sprinkle with olive oil.

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Put cheese mixture into the mold, sprinkle with more olive oil and cover it with the left over muslin.

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Place the mold into a container or tray to catch the whey (liquid that drains away). Stand overnight in the fridge.

Carefully turn the mold out onto a serving plate.

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Serve with a tomato salad or anything thing else that catches your fancy.

Next time I make a ‘Coeur,’ I may try ricotta and herbs – no feta, no yogurt.

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The tomato salad to place on top of the Coeur

Recipes of summer vegetables:

PEPERONATA – PIPIRONATA (Sicilian) Braised peppers

FRIED ZUCCHINI – ZUCCHINE FRITTE (Zucchini are called CUCUZZEDDI in Sicilian)

PUMARORU CA CIPUDDA (Tomatoes with onions). INSALATA DI POMODORO (Tomato salad)

PEPPERS WITH BREADCRUMBS- PIPI CA MUDDICA – PEPERONI CON LA MOLLICA

ANTIPASTO – GRILLED SUMMER VEGETABLES AND A SCOOP OF SALADS

BURRATA, MOZARELLA, STRACCIATELLA

Coeur a la Crème made with Labneh

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Summer produce – peppers used to make Peperonata

BURRATA, MOZARELLA, STRACCIATELLA

Burrata, mozzarella and stracciatella are among Italy’s culinary pleasures. These fresh cheese are simple and beautifully made, proving that outstanding ingredients need very little to please.

Whenever I travel through Italy, I make the most of every opportunity to eat these fresh cheeses.

During a recent visit to Venice and Trieste I enjoyed as much mozzarella, burrata and stracciatella as I could, accompanied by magnificent summer tomatoes that were at their seasonal best.

Fortunately, we now have those fresh cheeses in Australia, but maybe some makers are not as good as they could be.

Three Fresh Cheeses, Three Different Experiences

Fresh mozzarella, whether made from cow’s milk (fior di latte) or buffalo milk (mozzarella di bufala), has become widely available outside Italy. Burrata, however, remained relatively unknown for many years, although it has now become one of the most sought-after cheeses on restaurant menus around the world.

The reason is easy to understand. Burrata offers the delicate freshness of mozzarella with an indulgent creamy centre that transforms even the simplest dish into something memorable.

What is Stracciatella?

Stracciatella is the luscious filling found inside traditional burrata. It is made by combining finely shredded strands of fresh mozzarella with rich cream, creating a soft, almost spoonable cheese.

Its name comes from the Italian verb stracciare, meaning “to tear” or “to shred,” referring to the torn strands of mozzarella curd that are folded through the cream.

It is delicious served on its own with crusty bread, but inside burrata it becomes something even more irresistible.

Burrata: Puglia’s Creamy TreaT

Burrata originates in Puglia, the region of southern Italy famous for its olive groves, beautiful coastline and handmade orecchiette pasta.

The outer shell is made from stretched mozzarella curd, while the centre is filled with creamy stracciatella. As soon as you cut through the delicate casing, the creamy filling gently spills onto the plate.

It is one of those foods that never fails to impress.

The name burrata comes from burro—the Italian word for butter—a reference to its rich, buttery texture. Traditionally, some versions were filled with fresh cream rather than stracciatella, making the connection even more obvious.

Freshness Matters

Like all fresh cheeses, burrata is best eaten as soon as possible after it is made—ideally within 24 hours.

It is usually sold immersed in lightly salted whey or water, which helps preserve its freshness and delicate texture. Unlike aged cheeses, burrata is all about freshness, softness and clean dairy flavours.

Two traditional styles of burrata—the classic round burrata and the hand-tied version, both filled with creamy stracciatella.

Burrata with knot on top

Both burrate delicious and both enveloping the creamy filling.

Burrata with a sealed sphere
Heirloom tomatoes
Heirloom tomatoes
 Burrata and Tomato Salad

When beautiful tomatoes are in season, burrata needs almost nothing else.

Combine ripe heirloom tomatoes with sweet cherry tomatoes, fragrant basil leaves, a drizzle of exceptional extra virgin olive oil and perhaps a few slices of mild red onion. Finish with flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

The combination is extraordinary: the sweetness and gentle acidity of the tomatoes, the perfume of basil, the richness of the creamy cheese and the peppery fruitiness of the olive oil create perfect balance.

An Italian Meal in Paris

I purchased ingredients and assembled this salad in Paris.

Burrata salad I made in Paris

The tomatoes, basil and red onion came from markets around the Mediterranean, while the burrata itself was Italian.

Italian Burrata bought in Paris

It was a reminder that wonderful cooking is often less about complicated recipes and more about choosing excellent ingredients and allowing each one to speak for itself.

Sometimes the simplest meals are the most memorable.

the friends made it for expressed that the mild acidity of tomatoes, basil, super-duper good quality extra virgin olive oil was ecstasy.

Paris

A SAVOURY COEUR À LA CRÈME to accompany a summer fresh tomato salad or summer vegetables

PUMARORU CA CIPUDDA (Tomatoes with onions). INSALATA DI POMODORO (Tomato salad)