Dinner Party

Ottolenghi's Burrata With Grilled Grapes & Basil

by:
September 25, 2018
4
22 Ratings
Ottolenghi's Burrata With Grilled Grapes & Basil
Photo by Jonathan Lovekin
  • Prep time 1 hour 5 minutes
  • Cook time 5 minutes
  • Serves 6 as a generous starter
Author Notes

"Burrata—which means "buttered" in Italian—is one of life's great pleasures. The outside is firm mozzarella, the inside an oozy combination of stracciatella and cream. The combination of the three is unsurprisingly good. Burrata can be paired with all sorts of flavors—citrus fruit or juice, sweet balsamic, peppery arugula, or toasted spices. Here, sweet red grapes are skewered and grilled—a method that is as simple as it is impressive. If you want to get ahead, marinate the grapes in the fridge for up to 1 day before grilling. If you can't get hold of burrata, balls of mozzarella make an absolutely fine alternative."

This recipe is featured in the story, A Simple, Make-Ahead Menu from Ottolenghi’s Latest Cookbook, sponsored by Ten Speed Press. It is is reprinted from Simple, by Yotam Ottolenghi with Tara Wigley and Esme Howarth, with permission from our partner Ten Speed Press. —Food52

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 11 1/4 ounces seedless red grapes, pulled off their vine
  • 2 tablespoons Valdespino vinegar (or other best-quality sherry vinegar)
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons dark brown sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons fennel seeds, toasted and lightly crushed
  • Flaked sea salt and black pepper
  • 3 large balls of burrata or buffalo mozzarella
  • 6 small purple or green basil sprigs, to serve
Directions
  1. Put the grapes in a medium bowl with vinegar, oil, garlic, sugar, 1 teaspoon of the fennel seeds, 1/4 teaspoon of flaked salt, and plenty of pepper. Mix well and marinate for at least 1 hour and up to 1 day. Thread 5 or 6 grapes onto each skewer. Don't throw away the marinade; you'll need it when serving.
  2. Place a grill pan over high heat and ventilate your kitchen well. Once hot, add the grape skewers in batches and grill for 2 to 3 minutes, turning after 1 1/2 minutes. Remove from the heat.
  3. When ready to serve, tear the balls of burrata in half and place one-half on each plate. Arrange the grape skewers to lean against them—2 per portion—and spoon 1 1/2 teaspoon of the marinade over the cheese. Alternatively, arrange on a platter to serve a crowd. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of fennel seeds, garnish with a sprig of basil, and serve.
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8 Reviews

Lori D.
Lori D. December 23, 2021
so different- everyone loved it!!
 
Maura
Maura July 18, 2021
Dinner guests loved it, very different!
 
Jeri
Jeri February 4, 2020
This is an absolutely wonderful recipe. I did the skewers of grapes under the broiler until starting to split, turning once. Marinated only 1 hour and it was perfect.
 
funinthekitch
funinthekitch December 22, 2021
how did you broil the grapes without smoking up the house? i put the grapes on a sheet pan under the broiler--almost caused a fire
 
Jeri
Jeri December 23, 2021
I broiled them about 5 inches from the broiler, watched them very carefully and did not have a problem.
 
funinthekitch
funinthekitch December 23, 2021
good to know. thanks. i may have had them too close to the broiler. will try again---hopefully without a fire extinguisher...haha
 
Pamela D.
Pamela D. June 11, 2019
Absolutely wonderful! We made this dish while in Spain and it was a show stopper!
 
Nichola
Nichola November 11, 2018
This was really good! Quick and easy, we ended up eating it for dessert! I subbed the sherry vinegar for red wine vinegar because it's what I had on hand, and next time will add some toasted slivered almonds for a little crunch.