Bottega - Michael Chiarello [21]
Burrata Three Ways
Burrata is the Italian word for “buttered,” and that’s fitting for a cheese that’s as soft, delicate, and creamy as this one. Among Italian cheeses, burrata is a baby, first made in Puglia in the 1920s but not appearing throughout Italy until the 1950s.
How does burrata differ from mozzarella? Burrata is much creamier. The technique for burrata is to shape the hot cheese strands into a pouch, stuff it full of mozzarella, and then top it off with cream before pinching the pouch closed. At Bottega, burrata appears on our menu in so many ways, we had trouble choosing just a few of our recipes to include in the book.
We don’t make our own burrata at Bottega. We buy ours from Vito Girardi, who owns Gioia Cheese Company with his wife, Monica. Here in California, Vito and Monica have been making burrata every day for a decade, so there’s no shame in saying that they make it better than I do. This is a funny, full-circle situation, because at Tra Vigne, we couldn’t find good mozzarella to buy and had to make our own. If Tra Vigne had been in Italy, I would never have made cheese. We got a reputation for cheese making, and it hit a nerve in the stratosphere. In 1987, I couldn’t find one person to sell me curd. These days, you could probably throw a rock and hit three people who can supply you with the curds you need to make mozzarella.
Burrata is a different story. The Italian tradition is to buy from local artisans. The artisanal food movement here in the States has worked a little differently, often with chefs making a hard-to-find ingredient until the small-scale producers turn up to help keep the restaurant walk-ins full. Buying my burrata means I can turn my focus to other products that I’ve had trouble finding, such as fresh-cured olives, jams made without pectin, sun-dried tomato conserve. . . and the list goes on and on.
I know that domestic burrata will be more widely available in a few years, but until then you can order directly from Vito and Monica by calling them at (626) 444-6015. Their cheese is expensive because it’s fragile and requires overnight shipping. Vito doesn’t like taking credit cards, so be prepared to prepay or have your burrata shipped C.O.D. For imported burrata, try the A.G. Ferrari stores.
Burrata tastes best within 48 hours of being made; after 72 hours it will have lost some of its fresh, delicate flavor, so when it arrives don’t wait to cook with it.
Torn Figs and Burrata
SERVES 6
This is a perfect example of how having burrata on hand means you don’t need a recipe: You just need to figure out what else you want on the plate.
Wine Pairing: Pinot Grigio
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
3 fresh rosemary sprigs
About 18 ripe figs, preferably Mission
12 ounces (3 balls) burrata
Sea salt, preferably gray salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Heat a small saucepan over medium heat, add the 1/4 cup olive oil, and sauté the rosemary until crisp. Transfer the rosemary to a paper towel to drain and cool for at least 10 minutes. Strip the leaves from the stems (and discard the stems). Tear each fig into 4 pieces and divide among 6 plates. Tear each ball of burrata in half and add a half to each plate with the figs. Sprinkle crispy rosemary on top, season with salt and pepper, and drizzle with olive oil.
WATERMELON VARIATION: Substitute chunks of icy-cold watermelon or any melon for the figs.
Burrata Caprese with Heirloom Tomatoes, Basil Oil, and Balsamic “Caviar”
SERVES 6
Executive sous-chef Ryan McIlwraith helped me solve a problem that I’ve always had with a classic caprese. Normally, when you drizzle on the vinegar and then take that first bite, the wash of vinegar in your mouth blocks the more subtle flavors of the tomatoes and the cheese. But mix the balsamico with gelatin, and it’s easy to create these wild little caviar