Burrata is my go to easy serve. Pop it on a pretty plate and drizzle in a little oil, salt and pepper and serve with a side of bread (the best companion has a load of holes in it to catch all the creamy cheese - focaccia, sourdough etc.) Serve as is for the perfect starter, or with salad or a little greenery for a summery lunch.

In this case I’ve paired it with some blood oranges, as per one of the classics at Ottolenghi’s restaurant NOPI, with the peel cut away and the hexagons of deep red juicy fruit sliced into rounds. Delicious both to eat and to look at.

I love the varying colours of each orange and the ombré effect on the inside of the peel, it’s the perfect subject for a shoot. I chose vintage style serveware and crockery in this set, each plate with a slightly different design, and brought in some colour contrast with a pop of deep green and soft pink linen. I also loved the texture of the crinkled brown bag that the fresh focaccia was wrapped in, so I used that as an additional layer in a few of the images.

The shining star of this whole shoot however, has to be the little pot of toasted coriander seeds and olive oil (infused with lavender in the original NOPI dish), the light falling like silk onto the surface. This is a little bit of Ottolenghi magic - taking something beautifully simple and elevating it with a more unusual and unique flavour. I’ve reshared the recipe below.

I hope you have a go at making something similar and enjoy the plating and the eating as much as I did.

This recipe is reshared from The Happy Foodie website. The original recipe has been taken from the NOPI cookbook by Ottolenghi.

All images are my own.

INGREDIENTS

2 tbsp olive oil

1½ tsp clear runny honey

¾ tsp dried lavender

½ small garlic clove, crushed

1 tbsp coriander seeds, toasted

2 (320g total) blood oranges, or 2 medium oranges

4 (440g total) burrata balls

5g basil or micro-basil leaves

Coarse sea salt

METHOD

Place the oil in a small saucepan with the honey, lavender, garlic and 3/4 teaspoon of salt. Bring to a simmer on a medium-low heat and remove at once. Stir well and set aside until completely cool, then add the coriander seeds.
Use a small, sharp, serrated knife to trim the tops and tails off the oranges. Cut down the sides of the oranges, following their natural curve, to remove the skin and white pith. Slice into 8 rounds, 1cm thick, and remove the pips.
Divide the orange slices between the plates, slightly overlapping, and place a burrata ball alongside. Spoon the coriander seeds and lavender oil over the cheese and orange, top with the basil leaves – tearing them as you go – or the micro-basil, left whole, and serve.