Ever heard the saying: “Italians do it better”? Well, that really couldn’t be more true when it comes to cheese, especially fresh mozzarella. Queen of all the fresh cheeses is burrata, a ball of milky, sweet mozzarella, stuffed with heavy cream and strands of more mozz called stracciatella. This glorious creation is all you need to take a plate of summer produce (say, blushing, juicy Pennsylvania heirloom tomatoes) to the next level.
Now you can bring a little of that Italian swagger into your own kitchen, with this recipe from Caputo Brothers Creamery in Spring Grove, PA. Famous for its incredible artisan cheese, Caputo’s offerings are mostly inspired by co-founder and president Rynn Caputo’s travels throughout Italy! Making homemade burrata might sound like a huge undertaking, but with Caputo Brothers’ CapoMozz! Fresh Mozzarella Curds, it’s actually no trickier than melting the curds in hot water and stretching them out until they reform a smooth mass of mozz. Then, you make the tastiest little package with strands of more cheese and fresh PA cream. We like burrata served with something bright and acidic, like tomatoes, olive oil and fresh basil, but burrata is great atop any kind of fresh salad or pasta!
Homemade Burrata with Heirloom Tomatoes
| Yield |
|---|
| Serves 2–4 |
| Prep Time | Cook Time | Total Time |
|---|---|---|
| 30 min | 15 min | 45 min |
Ingredients
- 1 pint heavy cream
- 2, 16-ounce pouches of Caputo Brothers Creamery Mozzarella Curd
- 100 grams, plus one pinch, of fine sea salt
- 2 plum tomatoes, or 1 large slicing tomato
- Olive oil, to taste
- 1 large stalk of fresh basil
Method
- Thaw the first sealed curd pouch in cold water for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to 190°F.
- Open the pouch, remove the curds, and place them in a large mixing bowl.
- Add 40 to 50 grams of fine sea salt to the curds.
- Break the curds up into quarter-sized pieces and toss.
- Pour the hot water over the curds to cover them, stirring with a spoon or paddle for 30 seconds.
- Pour off about 2/3 of the water and add another dose of the 190° water, covering the curds again.
- Immediately start gathering the curds into a mass using a spoon or paddle, and begin lifting the mass above the bowl, allowing the cheese to stretch under its own weight. Note: As the water is hot, keeping a small bowl of cold water on the side can be helpful to dip your hands in occasionally, if you desire.
- Repeat the stretching process until mostly smooth and shiny and form into one large mass (the shape of a loaf of bread is good, but not necessary).
- Submerge the cheese into a cold tap water bath and let rest for 10 minutes.
- Remove the cheese and then begin tearing the cheese apart into strings.
- Place the strings into a bowl and cover with heavy cream, adding a pinch of salt. Mix until salt is incorporated. This mixture is called “stracciatella” and will become the filling of the burrata.
- Repeat steps 1-9 for the second pouch of curds.
- Now pinch a ball of mozzarella from the mass about the size of your fist.
- Form the ball into a ravioli shape, flattening the edges, leaving more in the middle.
- Placing the “ravioli” on top of your fist with your thumb facing up, begin gently depressing the fat part of the cheese into the hole in your fist, making a sort of pouch of cheese.
- Now take a handful of the stracciatella and stuff it down inside, being careful not to tear through the bottom of the pouch.
- When all inside, cinch the top, dipping the top back into the hot water to seal. If you have trouble sealing it, you can simply tear the top off, which will cause a seal, as well, giving you a burrata that looks more like mozzarella, but will taste the same!
- Place in tepid water until ready to serve, then put on plate, slice and serve, arranging with sliced tomatoes and fresh basil.
- Photos: Dish Works
- Recipe: Caputo Brothers Creamery
