Burrata is the perfect food: a thin skin of mozzarella that is formed into a purse, filled with cream and shreds of more mozzarella, and sealed. I was first introduced to burrata in NJ, strangely enough, but it wasn’t until I visited Puglia a few years back that I REALLY experienced it in all its glory, devouring this milky miracle that was served to me no more than an hour after it was born. In Rome we don’t get burrata quite that fresh, but I’ve scoped out the places in town to get a pretty decent substitute. Volpetti, Roscioli (the restaurant not the forno), and Casa Bleve have this ingenious creation driven up from Andria (the city in the province of Bari from which it hails) fresh in the morning to be served that very day.
True true, it’s so damn perfect. Best fresh cheese I’ve ever eaten. Also had three different Italians tell me it’s made with butter.
After I (politely, canadian-ly) explain “burrata = buttery texture” they deny it, or insist on some other mythical cheese exactly like burrata with a name they can’t remember at the moment but that I swear definitely actually contains butter really Jordan it does.
Can’t argue too much about this; not Italian, haven’t been here even two years. Need more ammo from food expert (you) to win my future burrata debates.
Ha! Yes, I know this well. People who assume you don’t know or understand anything about food because you are foreign. Isn’t that so…what’s the word…charming? Yes, that’s it.
I am headed to Andria next week and I intend to post video evidence that burrata contains no butter! Just upload the footage to some portable device and you will be vindicated!
cul de sac also serves up brill burrata. that is where i first had it. surprisingly, one can also find it, wrapped in a fresh green leaf, at my (now former) local grocery store- Pam (testaccio)- in the deli section. however, paired w. a nice white like vermentino would be best- so perhaps one should stick to having it at a wine bar!
@exromana You are a wealth of information on Testaccio! I think you need to write a guest post on eating in your old hood!
If anybody is in New York City, the Burrata served at Frank, Lil Frankies and Supper (all the same owner and all in the EastVillage) is not only flown in on the regular direct from Italy, but is easily one of the best cheese experiences I’ve ever had the luxury of having. It serves 2-4.
You are so right about that. Love their burrata tho nothing beats eating it in Puglia 5 min after its born.