No matter what time of the year it is, I always enjoy starting a meal with a decadent platter of cured meats, cheeses, olives, and other finger foods served as antipasti in Italy. The undying dedication and efforts applied by the skilled artisans in creating these cured delicacies make me appreciate every single slice. This dish – Bresaola with San Pellegrino-Avocado Mayonnaise and Burrata pays homage to both the artisans who created this delectable bresaola (100% natural – with no preservatives) and to the producers of the refreshing San Pellegrino water that I use frequently in my recipes.
Bresaola is a popular Italian cured meat made from beef – more precisely from the leg of a cow. It is normally cured with salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, and juniper berries for a time span of around 1-3 months. It is normally eaten similarly to carpaccio (thinly sliced raw beef), with a drizzle of olive oil, lemon juice and topped with thinly shaved parmesan cheese. In this dish however, I decided to replace the parmesan cheese with a creamy burrata and avocado mayonnaise.
I hope you will have the opportunity to make this dish too, served as an appetizer.
INGREDIENTS – serves 2
8 thin slices of ciabatta (or baguette – for croutons)
½ avocado
1 full filet of salted anchovy
½ tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (for mayonnaise)
3 tbsp San Pellegrino sparkling water
70 gms Fior di Maso Bresaola Naturale (6-7 slices)
100 gms burrata
2 tsp olive oil (for plate base)
2 tsp olive oil (for finishing the dish)
Extra: ½ garlic clove to flavor the plate
Method:
- Slice ciabatta or baguette into very thin slices (0.5 cm in width) and sauté in olive oil until lightly browned and crunchy. Set aside to drain on a paper towel.
- In a tall jar/recipient, add avocado, anchovy, lemon juice, mustard, olive oil and San Pellegrino sparkling water. Using an immersion blender, blend everything to create the San Pellegrino Avocado mayonnaise. Other options include adding ¼ clove of garlic (crushed) to add to the mayonnaise. No salt is required, as the San Pellegrino and the bresaola already contain enough sodium to balance out the dish. The San Pellegrino water also creates a fluffier, lighter mayonnaise.
3. Drizzle a teaspoon of olive oil on the base of the presentation plate, and using a garlic clove cut in half, rub the garlic clove VERY gently on the plate to spread the oil evenly across the base, (without pressing too hard thereby overpowering the flavors of the rest of the dish).
4. Lay slices of bresaola on the plate. The bresaola used for this recipe is made without any preservatives, ensuring the most natural flavor possible. Cut the burrata in half, and then cut each half into thirds (1/3’s). Using a small spoon, place burrata over different areas of the bresaola.
5. Then, once again, using a small spoon, place dollops of the avocado mayonnaise over the bresaola slices alternating between the burrata.
6. Place slices of the croutons into the avocado mayonnaise, and basil leaves over the burrata as garnish.
7. Drizzle a teaspoon of olive oil over the finished plate.
This dish was inspired by my 7-year-old daughter, Cassi, who like me, is a huge fan of cured meats (she is the carnivore of our family). When discussing what ingredients to use in my next blog post, she overheard me and immediately drew a picture including: slices of bresaola, topped with a ball of burrata and accompanied by slices bread. I’m proud to say that all my children are true gourmets, and it was her beautiful picture led me to the creation of this dish.
https://www.sanpellegrino.com/
Check out all recipie on my Home Page:
