Burrata with brown butter, lemon, and cherries is a stunning appetizer that celebrates peak summer cherry season! It only takes 10 minutes to make and is perfect for summer entertaining.
Cherry season is finally here and I could not be more excited!!
So much so that I maaayyyyyyy have gone a little bit overboard on the cherry recipes this week. One appetizer, two pies, and a cake overboard.
AKA THE BEST KIND.
On further reflection, scratch that, there is no overboard when it comes to cherries! BRING. IT. ON.
I don’t know about you guys, but I felt like cherry season was a little late this year. I usually see them sprouting up in supermarkets here for semi-reasonable prices in early June, but they’re still kind of on the expensive side this first week of July!
The prolonged absence of cherries in my life not only made my heart grow fonder, but I swear it made them taste that much more delicious. Even after cooking and baking with them all weekend long, I still have a whole pound left in the fridge and I am pretty thrilled about it.
Cherry snacking all day every day. It’s happening.
And the only thing easier than snacking on cherries is throwing together this burrata / brown butter / cherry appetizer and calling it dinner.
No, really. We did that. AND IT WAS ONE OF MY BEST MOMENTS IN LIFE.
This is pretty indulgent, but worth every creamy cheesy brown buttery bite. You should probably serve it as a huge appetizer plate and share with others, but no one will blame you if you take the low road and eat it all yourself.
Also, it takes less than ten minutes to make so if you’re having a lazy day (<– ALWAYS), it’s about to be your new best friend.
Start by tossing pitted cherries with a little bit of balsamic vinegar. The sweet-tart acid will bring out the sweetness of the cherries and kind of just make them taste like the best versions of themselves.
While they’re marinating, you’ll make your brown butter and infuse it with a little bit of lemon zest. The lemon essence cuts the richness of the butter just a teensy bit so that eating it with the burrata doesn’t feel like total overkill.
Next you’ll just pile everything on top of each other on a serving platter and call it dinner! Add some basil for freshness, some flaky sea salt for contrast against the sweet cherries, and another drizzle of that balsamic. Serve it with crusty bread for sopping up all the cheese and cherry bits or just go at it with a spoon. You’ll have my unending support, however you decide to eat it.
- 3 cups (11 oz) whole fresh cherries
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- ¼ tsp finely grated lemon zest
- 8 oz burrata, at room temperature
- thinly sliced basil
- flaky sea salt, for serving
- balsamic syrup or good balsamic vinegar, for serving
- crusty bread, for serving
- Pit the cherries, cut them in half, and then toss them in a bowl with the balsamic vinegar. Allow to rest while you prepare the brown butter.
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Allow to cook until it starts to brown and smell nutty, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and immediately stir in the lemon zest. Set aside.
- To serve, place the burrata in the center of a serving dish, cutting it open if desired. Spoon the cherries over and around it. Drizzle with the brown butter. Top with the basil, flaky sea salt, and balsamic syrup, to taste.
- Serve with bread.
Thanks for sharing this great recipe, I have a question like what is balsamic vinegar and from where I can shop for it.
Balsamic vinegar can be found in pretty much any supermarket! It should be in the vinegar section.