Bursty Tomato Burrata Salad

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.