Sun Gold Tomato Caprese with Burrata
Sun Gold Tomatoes are pretty much the end all, be all, when it comes to tomatoes. This Sun Gold Tomato Caprese with Burrata and Breadcrumbs is basically all I want to eat for the rest of time!
Servings: 6 people
Ingredients
- 2-3 pints sun gold tomatoes quartered
- 1-2 balls burrata cheese
- fresh baby basil leaves
- Dalkin & Co Flake Salt to taste
- freshly cracked black pepper to taste
- olive oil to garnish
- super thinly sliced toasted crostini
For the Toasted Breadcrumbs
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Instructions
- On a platter, arrange the balls of burrata torn open with the Sun Gold tomatoes and top with the additional ingredients. Serve alongside crostini.
For the Breadcrumbs
- Place a large non-stick skillet over medium heat with the olive oil and butter. Add the panko and sauté for 3-5 minutes until it starts to turn golden brown. About 30 seconds before it's done, add the garlic. Remove from heat and transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain any excess oil. Use as needed.
Notes
- Quarter the sun golds instead of halving them. Quartering exposes more of the juicy interior and lets the tomatoes release their natural sweetness into the dish. It also makes each bite easier to scoop up alongside the burrata.
- Let the tomatoes sit with salt for 10 minutes before plating. A quick rest with Dalkin & Co Flake Salt draws out excess moisture and intensifies flavor through osmosis. This prevents the finished dish from becoming watery on the platter.
- Tear the burrata open rather than slicing it. Tearing releases the creamy stracciatella center and lets it spill naturally over the tomatoes. Slicing with a knife compresses the curd and holds that cream inside.
- Bring the burrata to room temperature before serving. Cold burrata is dense, and the cream inside stays tight. At room temperature, the exterior softens, and the interior becomes luxuriously loose, which is exactly the texture you want.
- Add the garlic to the panko only in the final 30 seconds. Garlic burns quickly in a dry-ish pan and turns bitter long before panko reaches golden brown. Adding it late ensures fragrant, toasty garlic flavor without any acrid bite.
- Drain the toasted breadcrumbs on a paper towel immediately after pulling from the heat. Panko keeps absorbing oil as it sits in the pan. Draining right away locks in the crunch and prevents the crumbs from turning greasy before they hit the plate.
- Add the toasted breadcrumbs directly before serving, never in advance. Breadcrumbs absorb moisture from the tomatoes and burrata within minutes. Sprinkling them at the last second preserves their crunch and textural contrast.
- Use a finishing olive oil, not a cooking olive oil, for garnish. Extra virgin olive oil with a low smoke point and robust flavor is meant to be tasted raw. Drizzling it over the finished dish delivers grassy, peppery notes that cooking would destroy.
- Season the tomatoes separately before assembling the platter. Seasoning the tomatoes on their own ensures every piece is properly seasoned at its surface. Once everything is plated together, it is nearly impossible to distribute salt evenly.
- Toast the crostini thin enough to snap cleanly. A thick crostino requires biting through and drags burrata off the top in an ungainly way. A very thin slice toasted until crisp acts as a true vehicle and holds the load without breaking the bite.
- Pick baby basil leaves rather than tearing larger ones. Tearing large basil oxidizes the cut edges quickly, turning them black and slightly bitter. Baby leaves stay whole, vibrant green, and look far more intentional on the finished plate.
Nutrition (estimated)
Calories: 108kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 60mg | Potassium: 388mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1373IU | Vitamin C: 22mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 1mg