Burrata with Pickled Cherries and Hazelnuts

I adore burrata. I know it has become sort of ubiquitous and some might say overplayed, but when I see it on a menu, I almost always order it. The delicious springy mozzarella with the oozing stracciatella cream filling lends itself to so many amazing accompaniments. I started my burrata journey with roasted tomatoes, like this smoky tomato version, but quickly learned the joys of serving it with fruit. NOPI restaurant in London, which is a favorite of mine run by the Ottolenghi group, serves a burrata with pickled apricots and coriander seeds which is justly famous.  So with cherries coming into season, I over this iteration. Sweet, dusky cherries with the tang of a red wine vinegar brine, layered with punchy peppercorns and sophisticated tarragon is an amazing pairing, particularly with the added texture and crush of woodsy toasted hazelnuts. And as an added bonus, it looks lovely on the plate.

Keep the cherries whole for pickling but cut them into smaller pieces for ease of serving – cherry halves will get mushy in the pickling. Red wine vinegar adds a winey depth, but you can use white wine or cider vinegar. Tarragon’s lightly licorice tinge is so sophisticated with these cherries, but you could use rosemary. When filling the jar, tuck the herbs and peppercorns between the cherries, and shake the jar to settle the cherries to get as many in the jar as possible, but you don’t want to squish them in. Burrata is sometimes sold as two smaller balls or one big – either is fine, just pat it dry when you remove it from its brine. Always take burrata out of the fridge for at least half an hour before serving so the creamy filling softens. That oozing center is the best part!