BELOVED BURRATA WITH BURNT BUTTER COURGETTES & LEMON

SERVES 2

My love of the sublime burrata is monumental, with an emphasis on the ‘mental’. My greed is such I would quite possibly push others aside to get to one of these exquisite spheres of Italian cheese. It’s simply a ball of fresh mozzarella enclosing a dreamy centre of ribbons of mozzarella and cream. So simple, in fact, it needs little intervention – I love it with fresh seasonal vegetables, olive oil and subtle, sour notes. Crusty bread to mop up the juices is imperative.

INGREDIENTS

2 courgettes, thinly sliced (I used a mandoline) Olive oil

Squeeze lemon juice

½ tsp grated lemon zest

50g butter

2 burrata (I used Il Casaro)

Small handful basil leaves, torn

2 Tbsp white balsamic vinegar

Crusty bread, to serve

1 Preheat oven to 200°C fanbake.

2 Lay courgette slices in one layer on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Drizzle with a little oil and a sprinkle of salt and bake for 10 minutes until just starting to brown at the edges.

3 Remove from oven and immediately place in a bowl. Dress with lemon juice and zest, plus olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside to give the flavours time to meld.

4 When ready to plate, place a handful of the courgettes on two serving plates, leaving some to spare. Heat butter in a saucepan over medium heat until it foams. Swirl the pot slightly and watch for the colour change – when it changes to a toasty brown colour, remove it from the heat and set aside.

5 Top courgettes with a ball of burrata, sprinkle with torn basil leaves and a drizzle of white balsamic and olive oil. Add a few more courgettes and pour a little of the burnt butter over both plates. Grind over some pepper and a sprinkle of salt and serve with crusty bread.