Burrata with artichokes (burrata con carciofi)

Burrata is a fresh ball of cheese with stretched mozzarella on the outside and a buttery mixture of shredded mozzarella and cream on the inside. This recipe comes from Stefano Manfredi, who air-freights burrata fresh from Italy once a week. You can buy Australian-made burrata from selected delis, supermarkets and cheese shops, or substitute with buffalo mozzarella. This recipe pairs the cheese with artichokes and a tangy lemon dressing for a perfect Italian starter.

Credit: Alan Benson

• serves

  4

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  2 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

• 2 (about 400 g) globe artichokes
• 1 large tomato, peeled, cut into strips
• 1½ lemons, juiced
• ¼ cup firmly packed chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves, stalks reserved
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 balls (about 400 g) burrata

Drink 2010 Torre Varano Taburno Falanghina DOC, Campania, Italy

Instructions

Trim artichoke stalks to 1 cm, then remove leaves, discarding tough outer ones. Thinly slice leaves and submerge in acidulated water (see Note). Using a paring knife or spoon, remove and discard furry centre of artichoke heart. Dip heart in acidulated water, then roughly chop. Return to acidulated water. Set aside.

Bring a pan of water to the boil, add juice of 1 lemon, parsley stalks and ½ tsp salt. Drain artichoke, then add to boiling mixture. Cook for 2 minutes or until just soft. Drain and cool.

To make dressing, whisk remaining lemon juice with oil and chopped parsley, and season with salt and pepper. Place the artichokes on a plate, scatter over tomatoes, top with burrata and drizzle with dressing to serve.

Note

• Acidulated water is water made acidic by adding lemon juice or vinegar. Add about 1 tsp of either to every 250 ml (1 cup) water.

As seen in Feast magazine, Feb 2012, Issue 6. 

Photography by Alan Benson.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.