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Burrata

Paul Ainsworth’s Asparagus Recipe

Paul Ainsworth's Asparagus with Burrata and Seaweed Dusted Sourdough

June sees the end of British asparagus season so it’s the last chance to celebrate them! Paul Ainsworth is the successful chef and restaurateur behind The Ainsworth Collection, which includes Michelin-starred No6 in Padstow where the menu showcases Cornish produce at its best.

English asparagus, chimichurri dressing, burrata and seaweed sourdough croutons

Ingredients

  • 1 bunch green English asparagus
  • 1 ball burrata
  • 2 slices torn sourdough
  • 10ml olive oil
  • 1 tsp dried seaweed powder/ seasoning
  • Sea salt and pepper
  • 3 tbsp chimichurri dressing (see recipe below)

Method

  1. Remove the tough end of the stalk from the asparagus then trim and lightly peel
  2. Add the torn bread, olive oil and a pinch off sea salt in a bowl and mix well. Place onto a chargrill over a medium to high heat to toast all over to create a crunchy crouton. Dust with seaweed powder and set aside.
  3. Boil or steam the asparagus in salty, seasoned water and cook for 1 ½ -2 minutes until the asparagus is tender but cooked through.
  4. Remove the asparagus onto paper to dry and lightly season with sea salt and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Place the asparagus onto a plate.
  5. Spoon over the chimichurri, lightly tear the burrata over the top, season with salt and pepper and top with the seaweed seasoned croutons to serve.

For the chimichurri, combine 120g flat leaf parsley, 120g coriander, 30g fresh oregano, 2 cloves of garlic, micro-planed, 1 tsp chilli flakes, 1 tsp ground cumin, 160g olive oil and 120g cider vinegar in a food processor (tearing the herbs off the stalks to ensure a smooth blend.) Taste and finish with fine salt and a splash of lemon if needed.

Celebrating 100 Years of Burrata

The year is 1922. At a dinner in Paris, the stars of the Modernist movement Sergei Diaghilev, Igor Stravinsky, Pablo Picasso, Marcel Proust, James Joyce, Erik Satie and Clive Bell dine together in Paris at The Majestic Hotel – the only time they would all meet together. Centre Court at Wimbledon is opened by King George V. The inventor of the modern telephone Alexander Graham Bell passes away. And in Apulia, one hundred years ago, legend has it that a local cheesemaker Lorenzo Bianchino Chieppa invents burrata.

The world’s favourite cheese was created as a clever use for leftovers from the mozzarella making process while also keeping cheese fresh in the days before refrigeration. Leftover strips of stretched curd were placed in a pouch of mozzarella (made by blowing warm, fresh mozzarella to make a balloon) and topped up with the cream that formed on top of that morning’s milking. The cream acted as a preservative to prevent the mozzarella strips turning acidic. The pouch was dipped in brine to toughen the outer layer before being wrapped in asphodel leaves to keep the burrata moist and fresh. As long as the leaves were green, the cheese inside remained fresh.

It remained a local delicacy until the 1950s when larger Italian cheese production factories caught wind. Yet it is still considered a gourmet cheese to this day, thanks to its complex production process and short shelf-life. Grab a bunch of fresh basil, prosciutto crudo, your favourite olive oil and a loaf of crusty bread… and celebrate 100 years of this glorious cheese.

Find it fresh in store. 

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