I’m having a moment. A food moment.
A few days ago, I had a craving for burrata cheese, and started clicking around on the Black Hole of the Internet, aka Pinterest, for recipe ideas. And, in what might be a Pinterest speed record, I came across this recipe and immediately stopped clicking: Fig, Prosciutto and Burrata Cheese Salad. Something that looks that good has to taste that good, right?? My recipe search was over.
If you’ve never had the guilty pleasure of burrata cheese, you need to fix that immediately. Burrata cheese is fresh mozzarella wrapped around a pocket of even more fresh mozzarella mixed with fresh cream. Burrata means “buttered” in Italian. Mmmm, buttered cheese. The play on textures is genius.
And figs! I love fresh figs. You aren’t allowed to say you don’t like figs if the sum total of your fig experience is Fig Newtons. Fig Newtons taste like sand. Fresh figs, however, are glorious. Combining them with burrata cheese and prosciutto is approaching otherworldly! I wonder if a fig tree would survive in Northern-ish Virginia??
This salad is so good, my eyes are rolling into the back of my head! But what wine to pair with it? There’s a whole lot of different tastes and textures on my plate:
- Peppery arugula
- Silky, creamy burrata cheese
- Salty prosciutto
- Sweet fresh figs (my grocery store only had green figs, which muted the color palate a little, but definitely not the taste!)
- Acidic balsamic vinegar
- Very sweet fig compote (if you’re not a fan of overly sweet stuff, cut back on the compote)
I looked at this plate, and my first (and really only) pairing thought was Bubbles! And I just happened to have an open bottle of Champagne in my fridge. And while it wasn’t a bad pairing at all, I can’t help but wonder if Bubbles with a touch of sweetness (maybe a Moscato d’Asti or even a Prosecco) would have been a better choice.
What are your thoughts? What wine(s) would you pair with this salad?
Salud!
The Armchair Sommelier 
Love that salad and I think you were right on with bubbles but I would have served prosecco.
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It’s sooooo yummy!! And next time . . . Prosecco, for sure!! Cheers!
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Yeah, the sweet figs definitely need a little sweetness to complement them, I would definitely like Prosecco with it. I can’t help but think a nice Riesling, like the Leitz Out from Germany might be lovely with it.
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Love burrata and figs, together and each one independently! As for the pairing, I think you got tons of options. Sparklers will go well, Kabinett or drier Riesling will do well, I would also see if fresh lemony profile with a touch of grass would work as well – Albarino might work, white Priorat might work, Chenin Blanc (dry) might work, Fiano too.
Ouch, I think I’m hungry now. Let me know what you will decide on!
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I love all the outside-the-box suggestions, Anatoli! Hitting on the lemon-grass profile hadn’t occurred to me. Mmmmm!!
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When my tasting group did Sherry three of us brought fig in some form to go with the fino and amontillado. Our hostess made figs stuffed with blue cheese and baked…yum! A dry sherry is a good match with figs and cheese. But, I agree with Anatoli, you have a lot of options.
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Sherry?!?! That’s brilliant, Linda!! Making this again pronto, just so I can pull out some Sherry! 💙💜💚!!
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Yum yum yum. Sherry, like an amontillado, tightly chilled, would sing with this, maybe a Vin Jaune from Jura.
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LOVE this idea!! I’m kicking myself, because I JUST finished a bottle of Vin Jaune. If I’d held out for one more day, I could have put this pairing to the test immediately!! Cheers!!
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Then I read foxress above me…good minds think alike.
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🙂
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🍷😃🍷
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OMG – that looks divine! I hear what you’re saying about something bubbly but a little sweeter. I’m thinking Fitz Ritter Extra Trocken Riesling Sekt, NV (I tried it and blogged about it a few weeks ago) – very nice, and works very well with creamy cheeses (oh, lead me to the burrata now please) and sweet fruit. Thank you so much for telling us about this dish!
P.S. Check out Merrifield for a fig tree – believe it or not they can survive in NoVa! If you do, let me know – I’ll be over to your house for figs soon! LOL!
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Riesling Sekt is a great idea, Connie! And I’m heading to Merrifield sometime this week to ask about the fig tree. I love Merrifield . . . it’s like Disneyland for me!! Cheers!!
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You had me at cheese wrapped in cheese! I’m thinking Prosecco, Vouvray, or Viognier would all pair quite nicely 🙂
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I’m not sure there’s anything better than cheese wrapped in cheese . . . Mmmmm! Cheers!!
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Enjoyed burrata in Puglia last year. They made it fresh each day and served it warm. Delish.
Your post has had me scurrying around the net looking for places that i can get it up here.
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I can’t imagine how divine eating burrata cheese in Puglia must be . . . happy sigh!! Cheers!!
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I had lunch and looking at the picture of the salad is making me hungry again.
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I hope you have a chance to make it . . . Cheers!!
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Where I live, figs have to be flown in. So it will be really expensive. Just like heirloom tomatoes which I love..I saw a small box of at least 5 varieties and colours, it cost about USD 30 for about 10 assorted tomatoes.
If I see any figs, I will definitely make it, smaller portion.
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Hahahaha! Fig newtons do taste like sand!!! A beautiful salad and post!
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Thanks, Chef Mimi! I’m glad I’m not the only one who thinks Fig Newtons taste like sand . . . Cheers!!
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I love burrata cheese (even a little better than its mother, mozzarella). However, I am not a huge fig person. That being said, I took the plunge and tried a warm fig wrapped in prosciutto and stuffed with gorgonzola at a prosciutto tasting I was attending…and it changed my opinion a bit. I’ll have to see if I enjoy them this way as well.
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I was completely with you on the warm fig wrapped in prosciutto . . . right up until the gorgonzola point. I’m not a huge gorgonzola/blue family of cheese person. I keep trying, but so far . . . I just can’t do it. Do let me know if you try figs in this salad . . . Cheers!!
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I suggest using a balsamic glaze instead of balsamic vinegar. The glaze mutes the vinegar and has a touch of sweetness. The glaze clings to the salad. I make a similar salad quite often and I pair this with a fruity Rhone wine.
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A glaze is a great idea, House Swine! 😃 I like the notion of the dressing clinging to the salad instead of running off. Mmmmm! Cheers!!
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I simply adore burrata, figs, prosciutto, arugula, and basalmic anything. The salad sounds incredible! Last week I made a steak, blue cheese, roasted black mission figs, arugula and basalmic glaze sandwich and served it with a full body yet restrained Cabernet Sauvignon from Uruguay. It was an awesome pairing and I think it would work equally well with your salad. I usually have arugula, prosciutto and basalmic vinegar in my kitchen. I think I may go buy some more figs and burrata and try your salad with Tuesday night’s wines from Hudson Valley. How about round two? Cheers!
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I really wish I liked the bleu family of cheeses . . . everyone always raves about them, but it’s one of the few foods I don’t eat. Such a shame, too, since I keep hearing it’s killer with Cabernet. I’ll have to live vicariously through you!! Not sure what I’m doing for tomorrow’s HV tasting. I’ll be coming from a late soccer practice pick-up, so I may be tasting sans food!! Cheers!
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I’m not a fan of figs – and I have had fresh ones many times, including last week… But that burrata sounds amazing! Maybe I’d have to put something else in the salad – strawberries or blueberries or something like that. And bubbles does see like it would pair well.
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I’m sure blueberries and strawberries would be great (strawberries and balsamic together are amazing!) I also wonder what fresh plums would do in that salad?? Salud!
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Yes, absolutely, I do it all the time, I am Italian.
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