courgette rosti with burrata and tomato salsa

this was so delicious! it’s a nigel slater recipe and i really loved the contrast of the courgette rosti with the rich creamy burrata, all made to taste fresh and delicious with a tomato, basil and lemon salsa. we had it for supper but i think it'd be a wonderful brunch dish.

burrata is most-easily described as pouches of mozzarella cheese, filled with cream – it’s a seasonal cheese and can be quiet difficult to track down as it quicjly loses its freshness, but if you can get it, it really is worth the effort. if not, a really nice buffalo mozzarella would also be delicious.

the salsa – basil and oil blitzed together and then mixed with diced tomatoes and lemon zest – was a variation on the recipe. my tomatoes were a bit bland so i dressed them with the basil and oil and used the lemon zest to add a bit more flavour. a little bit of black garlic would also have been nice, if they needed even more flavour.

nigel slater’s courgette rosti with burrata and basil (serves 2)

1 large or 2 medium courgette

1 teaspoon sea salt flakes

1 large potato

1 teaspoon white-wine vinegar

2 egg yolks

40g pecorino

olive oil for frying

2 medium tomatoes

2 small balls burrata

for the dressing:

5 tablespoons olive oil

a handful basil

zest of half  a lemon (optional)

wipe the courgette, but don’t peel it. grate it coarsely into a colander or sieve, then crumble over the salt flakes. set the colander on a plate or in the sink and leave for 30 minutes. this will help to reduce some of the water content and result in a crisper rosti.

wipe the potato, peel it if you wish, then shred it into fine julienne strips. a food processor is good for this, or a mandolin grater if you are brave enough. the strips need to be thinner than a matchstick, similar to the size for a celeriac remoulade. if you are not using the potato immediately, drop the strips into water and add the vinegar to stop it browning.

squeeze the grated courgettes in your hands to wring out the excess water. drain and pat dry the potatoes and add to the courgettes, together with a grinding of black pepper. lightly beat the egg yolks and stir them into the vegetables, folding in the grated pecorino as you go.

form the courgette and potato mixture into four equal-sized balls, then flatten them gently so they are about twice the thickness of a digestive biscuit. warm a thin film of olive oil in a nonstick frying pan then lower in the little vegetable patties and leave them to form a crisp, light golden crust on the base. carefully turn the rosti and leave to cook for a further 5-7 minutes or until they are golden underneath and lightly crisp.

drain the burrata. halve the tomatoes, scrape out the seeds if you wish and dice the flesh into small cubes. put the basil and olive oil into the bowl of a food processor and process to a bright green dressing (abby note: at this stage i mixed the tomatoes and bail oil, seasoned and added the lemon zest).

lift the courgette rosti from the pan, drain briefly on kitchen paper, then divide between two plates. break open the burrata and place one half on each, then spoon over some of the dressing (salsa) and serve.