Spicy peach, burrata and herb salad with garlicky croutons
This recipe is another one I developed for the team at Nando’s, but it is my favorite so far, both because the recipe turned out to be delicious, and because the light in my kitchen was so good that day so the photos turned out so beautifully. Sometimes, just sometimes, I get over my imposter syndrome and think, damn girl, you did a really good job! It’s a riff of the kind of salad you may have seen before, but each element has something special, a little upgrade that makes the whole thing just *chef’s kiss*. I can only aspire to be as good as the team at Ottolenghi, but elevating each element and always having just one extra special thing than strictly necessary, is what makes them great to me. This recipe loosely follows that formula: The croutons are rubbed with fresh garlic. The Peaches? Marinated AND grilled. The herbs? Two types. And do you even need a sauce when you have delicious creamy burrata already? Why the heck not?!
I hope you give this recipe a try, it takes slightly more love than a simple salad, but it is packed with the flavors of summer. If you happen to crave this in winter, canned peach slices will work really well too, since they are already cooked. I love fresh peaches the best (don’t we all!) but sometimes it’s nice to pretend it’s summer, especially this time of year when you are sick and tired of winter, like I am today.
DEGREE OF DIFFICULTY: Medium
PREPARATION TIME: 25 mins
COOK TIME: 7 mins
SERVINGS: 4 servings
INGREDIENTS:
4 Ripe peaches or nectarines (or a can!)
1 Demi-baguette (about a 7 oz. loaf)
2 Tbsp Nando’s PERi PERi sauce, in the flavor of your choice
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 Large garlic clove
8 oz. Burrata, 2 oz balls best but not necessary
1 oz. Fresh mint
1 oz. Fresh oregano
DIRECTIONS
Slice the peaches/nectarines off the stone, you should get approximately 6 slices per fruit. If using canned, drain ‘em. Slice the baguette into ¼ inch slices and drizzle with olive oil.
Grill the peaches and baguette slices on one side until you see nice, toasty grill marks. It should only take a couple of minutes, depending on how hot your grill is.
Rub the garlic clove lightly over the toasted side of the bread slices.
Brush the grilled peach slices with PERi PERi sauce.
Arrange the peaches and bread on a platter. Tear open the burrata and arrange on the peaches. Tear up the fresh herbs and sprinkle over everything.
Douse liberally with more PERi PERi sauce and enjoy…
