Burrata di Puglia

Burrata di Puglia

The Burrata di Puglia is a fresh cow's milk cheese characterized by an external layer of mozzarella that encloses a soft and stringy heart enriched with fresh cream. The classic Burrata di Puglia must be white and shiny and its smell must be exclusive of milk especially if you are dealing with a classic Burrata di Puglia.

The Burrata di Puglia is perfect for various preparations from appetizers to salads, or from bruschetta to an excellent condiment for first courses. In any preparation, the golden rule of Burrata di Puglia must be kept in mind: never cook it. It must always be added raw and in the case of some first courses it’s used for creaming instead of butter.

The Burrata di Puglia was born by chance during a very snowy day in Andria from the hands of Lorenzo Bianchino who worked in one of the farms where dairy products were produced. The Burrata di Puglia was born from the need to preserve the freshly made mozzarella which could not be transported due to bad weather. Lorenzo then decided to use the mozzarella as a casing to keep the freshly produced cream inside. He also added the residues of the stretched curd, creating a masterpiece for palates worldwide.

There are many variations of the classic Burrata di Puglia: the smoked burrata suitable for aperitifs or rustic dinners, the buffalo burrata made with buffalo milk which gives a highly refined and unmistakable taste, and the mini version of the Burrata di Puglia characterized by a more consistent external casing.

Is Burrata Mozzarella?

The Burrata di Puglia and the mozzarella can be defined as sisters. The mozzarella is very compact because it is made only with stretched curd. The Burrata di Puglia uses the stretched curd to create a casing whose interior is filled with the well-known stracciatella made up of strips of pasta spun and cream.

The external appearance is very similar: soft and elastic consistency and glossy white color. The first phase of production is identical for both which leads to the production of the stretched curd. In the case of the mozzarella, it’s worked by hand and then cooled. For the Burrata di Puglia, a part is frayed by hand and mixed with the cream to form the "filling". The top of the Burrata di Puglia is closed with a ribbon which gives it its typical shape.

Recipes with burrata

The Burrata di Puglia is a very versatile food - ideal for enhancing the taste of many preparations. It is essential to taste the Burrata di Puglia at room temperature. For this reason, we recommend removing it from the refrigerator at least an hour before consuming it.

The classic combinations include accompanying the burrata with tomato slices as if it were a Caprese, with a drizzle of oil.

The combination of Burrata di Puglia and Martina Franca capocollo (cured meat produced in Apulia) with the addition of a nice glass of dry white wine is the maximum expression of Apulian typicality.

The Burrata di Puglia can also be added to make a simple pasta dish - Pesto with Burrata di Puglia added becomes a gourmet dish with a unique flavor.

Another widely used combination is that of the Burrata di Puglia with prawns: the softness of the burrata perfectly combines with the sweetness of the prawns and is best enhanced by the presence of citrus fruits.

The classic bruschetta lends itself to a thousand uses of the Burrata di Puglia: hot bread can be combined in a thousand ways with the Burrata di Puglia and ingredients of all kinds.

Tomato and burrata pasta

Ingredients

320 g of pasta (spaghetti is the most suitable)
350 g of cherry tomatoes
200 g of burrata
Extra virgin olive oil
Fresh basil
1 clove of garlic
Salt

Directions

Boil the water.
Wash the cherry tomatoes, cut them in half, and brown them in a pan with peeled garlic, 3 tablespoons of oil and a few basil leaves for 3–4 minutes.
Mash half of the cherry tomatoes with a fork and leave the others whole, and add salt.
Keep the whole cherry tomatoes aside, leaving only the sauce. 
Cook the pasta al dente and drain it adding it to the pan with the sauce and 2 ladles of cooking water.
When the pasta has absorbed the water it will be cooked, at this point add the whole cherry tomatoes.
Serve with Burrata di Puglia and decorate with some basil leaves. 

Zucchini cream and burrata pasta

Ingredients
 

320 g of fresh Strozzapreti
500 g of zucchini
250 g of burrata
Extra virgin olive oil
Fresh basil
Fresh mint
1 clove of garlic
Salt
Pepper

Directions

Wash the zucchini and cut them into slices.
Fry the garlic clove in a pan. When it is golden add the zucchini, salt and pepper, and a few leaves of basil and mint torn up with your hands. Stir occasionally.
Once cooked, take half of the zucchini and put them in a mixer together with half of the burrata, blend everything until creamy, and pour the mixture into the pan with the remaining zucchini.
Cook the pasta al dente, drain it, pour it into the pan with the zucchini, and mix the pasta with the sauce.
Serve and complete with burrata and a few leaves of basil and mint to decorate.