zucchini and basil fritters with stracciatella cheese

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zucchini and basil fritters with stracciatella cheese from Puglia

When I first tasted a sample of stracciatella, a very strange looking, stringy, white and creamy cheese at a recent event, I was immediately overwhelmed by it. Its made by Puglia cheese, a family of Italians who make the most authentic range of mozzarella in South Africa.

Stracciatella is basically torn bits of mozzarella in cream, and forms the stuffing for the Burrata cheese.

This is what Puglia say about their Burrata cheese: ‘They say that great things come in small packages, and this is certainly the case with our Burrata. Burrata is an handmade mozzarella ball filled, with ripped mozzarella soaked in double cream, ready to ooze out over your warm spinach and pinenut pasta or to be crumbed and deep -fried.  If served fresh as is; drizzle with good quality olive oil, season and enjoy with warm bread. Serve only once at room temperature’

So what can be better than just buying the filling, so often the best part of anything stuffed?

creamy mounds of delciousness on salty and herby fritters

It’s so clean and fresh and perfect as it is, but also serves as a great base from which to add a multitude of flavours.

Basil, rocket, pesto’s, tomatoes, garlic…….. the possibilities seem endless.

Stir into pasta, spread onto bruschetta, dollop onto hot potatoes or make into a delicious dip.

Its also very exciting from a textural perspective.  Not quite solid and not too fluid,  just silky and smooth with little bit of substance.

I thought zucchini fritters laced with fresh basil from my new herb garden would be a lovely partner and they were.

This is what you need to make these:

  • 4 medium – largeish courgettes
  • 1 egg (beaten)
  • 1/2 red onion very finely sliced (spring onions would also be nice)
  • 60ml of self raising flour (4Tbs)
  • smll handfull of fresh basil leaves – finely chopped
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • olive oil for frying

How to make these:

  • grate the courgettes/ zucchini and squeeze out all the liquid. I used my brand new potato ricer for this job and wow, what an amazing job it did
  • in a bowl mix all of the ingredients and stir to combine
  • heat some olive oil in a non stick pan and scoop about a tablespoon of mixture per fritter, but really go as big or as small as you like
  • press the fritter mixture down with a spatula and turn when they go brown the one side
  • set aside on kitchen paper and serve with dollops of stracciatella, black pepper and salt and scattered basil leaves

Yum Yum!

Ok, so just when you thought and as I had thought that this was all too good to be true, there is regrettably a small downside to this magnificent product.

The price.

A kilogram will set you back R240, so we are talking R60 for a 25ogmtub direct.  Yikes I know. So like many a special delicacy, this will be reserved for the occasional treat.

a texture adventure
luscious and silky, salty and crunchy

I love zucchini so here are a couple more recipes:

Smoked pepper flat bread with roasted beetroot and zucchini

Zucchini tzatziki

8 Comments

  1. I think basil i smy new found favorite herb. Paired with this delicate cheese, can only be a stroke of genius!!

  2. YUM! I cant wait to try this.

  3. I absolutely love it and am finding my own home grown (first harvest) particularly pungeant and aromatic.

  4. Wow, that cheese looks absolutely amazing! I’ll have to make a plan to work that into the budget. 🙂

  5. Hi.
    This is Davide from Puglia Cheese. I just would like you to know that our website has changed to http://www.puglia.co.za
    Thanks for loving our cheese

  6. Thanks Davide – I have updated it

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