Upgrade Your Next Burrata Experience With Shaved Frozen Tomato

Burrata is mozzarella's creamier, richer cousin. With an outer shell of mozzarella cheese and an inside filled with soft gooey cream and curds, it offers a texture so delicate that it almost melts in your mouth. You've perhaps seen deliciously oozy burrata cheese served on its own, or in a salad. You can also use burrata to elevate frozen pizza. These are all great serving options — but in our opinion, there can never be too many ways to enjoy this cheese. One experience absolutely worth trying, which has proven popular on social media, involves shaving a frozen tomato onto the dairy.

To make the dish, all you need to do is slice open your burrata, and then grate the frozen tomato directly on top of it before adding olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper. Serving the frozen tomato like granita adds a refreshing element to this dish, and it's a great way to ensure evenly dispersed tomato. Let's be honest, it's also a great way to impress your guests, because shaved tomatoes look very lavish. And it's nothing new that tomato and burrata are a match made in heaven, as the sweetness and acidity cuts through the cheese's richness. It's one reason the gooey dairy is a great way to make the perfect caprese salad.

While this is a fast and simple dish, it's a good idea to freeze your tomato for at least eight hours before you begin. This makes it firmer for easy shaving. When grating the frozen tomato, use a coarse grater or microplane depending on how fine you want it. 

Alternatively, you can give your hands a rest and use a stand mixer with a shave ice attachment. Once you've blended your fresh tomatoes, freeze them in ice mold cups for at least 12 hours before using the attachment to shave them over the cheese. Either way, your frozen shaved tomato burrata will look super-fancy, and taste seriously good. Just make sure to serve the dish immediately after you've added the tomato, as it will start to melt quickly.

To experience the best flavor and texture for your burrata, let it sit out for about an hour before serving. Eating it at room temperature will give you the buttery taste and soft interior this cheese is known for. Get creative and serve your salad with fragrant fresh basil, or dress it with bright lemon zest. Alternatively, spoon the burrata on some toasted baguettes or crackers, or top it with crumbled spicy chips for a crunchy contrast. Or, since you can also freeze and grate watermelon, go in a different direction entirely by switching up the fruit.