A familiar quartet of herbs inspired the name of this elegant starter, which is perfect for red wine dinners. If you can’t find burrata use fresh mozzarella, chopped finely, and stir in a few tablespoons of heavy whipping cream to taste.
Ingredients
- 8 oz burrata cheese
- ½ tsp finely minced flat-leaf parsley
- ⅛ tsp finely minced fresh rosemary leaves
- ⅛ tsp finely minced fresh or dried thyme leaves
- Pinch of ground nutmeg
- 1 bunch fresh sage
- Olive oil for shallow frying
- 12 slices of baguette, about ½” thick
Directions
For the herbed cheese:
Chop up the ball of burrata with a large knife (or pulse 5-6 times in a food processor) to blend the creamy middle with the firmer outside. Transfer to a mixing bowl and season with salt to taste. Mash the minced herbs and nutmeg into the cheese with the tines of a fork, and mix well to distribute the flavors. You can season the cheese several days ahead, but bring to room temperature before serving.
For the crispy fried sage:
Wash and dry the sage, separating leaves from the stems. Lay 2 layers of paper towels on a dinner plate near the stove. In a small saucepan with sides at least 3” tall, pour enough olive oil to cover the entire bottom of the pan. Warm the oil over medium heat for 1-2 minutes until a sage leaf sizzles gently on contact.
Put a handful of leaves into the oil and cook several minutes before turning the leaves with tongs (or chopsticks, or two forks) and cooking a few more minutes on the other side. Once the leaves stop sizzling for at least 30 seconds, remove them from the oil and lay them on the paper towels to drain and crisp. Sprinkle the leaves with salt while still hot.
Continue frying in batches until you have cooked all the sage leaves you want. Once cool, transfer to an air-tight container. Can make one day head.
To serve:
Broil or grill the sliced baguette until nicely browned. Spread the herbed cheese generously over each piece, and top with a crispy sage leaf or two.