There are layers of flavour to discover in this starter of burrata with greens.
When I was young, I spent my weekends at my grandmothers' sides – the time was a mix of apple cake, dim sum, cabbage rolls and evenings ending with ABBA-scored dance parties.
Memories of the Saturdays and Sundays of my childhood still influence the food I eat and cook today. Every new dish I develop is a nod to my time growing up as a Eurasian kid in Toronto, surrounded by love and a family obsessed with flavour.
This burrata dish speaks volumes about who I am as a cook. It's seasonal and simple to understand, but there is care and time put into the preparation. There are layers of textures and tastes. Some people might call it "fusion." I guess they would be right, but it's not the seared-ahi-tuna-with-Sriracha mayo type of fusion.
Recipes for the chili oil, nori sauce and buckwheat will give you much more than you need for this dish, but they all last for weeks and taste good on nearly everything.
Servings: 2
MAIN DISH
100 gram piece of burrata cheese
Handful of mixed autumn greens (such as mizuna, mustard and baby kale)
4 sprigs of cilantro, roughly torn
½ a lemon
Salt
8 thin slices of red onion
1 tablespoon chili oil with sediment
3 tablespoons nori sauce
1 tablespoon toasted buckwheat
NORI SAUCE
12 sheets nori, torn into bite-size pieces (about 30 grams)
½ cup mirin
½ cup vegetable stock, chicken stock or water
¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon soy sauce
3 tablespoons black rice vinegar
CHILI OIL
2 cups grape seed oil
1 cup Gochu garu Korean chili flakes
8 garlic cloves
1 green onion
4 star anise
2 bay leaf
1 teaspoon cumin, lightly crushed
1 teaspoon coriander, lightly crushed
2 tablespoons soy sauce
TOASTED BUCKWHEAT
¼ cup whole buckwheat
¾ cup grape seed oil
Pinch salt
Method
MAIN DISH
Put two dollops of the nori sauce on the plate. Tear burrata and place on the nori sauce. Drizzle the chili oil around the cheese.
Sprinkle toasted buckwheat over the plate.
In a bowl, season the greens with a generous squeeze of lemon and a pinch of salt. Combine with the red onions. Plate the greens and serve immediately by itself or with some grilled bread.
NORI SAUCE
Blend the ingredients together in a blender until a thick dark paste is formed. The sauce should taste sweet, salty and a little sour. Set aside for at least 30 minutes to allow the nori to soak up the liquid. Store in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to use.
CHILI OIL
In a heavy-bottomed pot add the oil and heat to 265 F. Turn stove to medium and add all the ingredients except the soy sauce to the pot. Gently stir ingredients and bring the oil to exactly 265 F again. As soon as it reaches the temperature, remove the pot from the heat. Not cooking it to 265 F will leave the chili oil lacking in complexity. Cooking it over 265 F will leave it tasting bitter and burnt.
When the oil is cool, pick out the cloves of garlic and green onion.
Stir in soy sauce and set aside. Store in an airtight container and keep at room temperature for up to one month.
TOASTED BUCKWHEAT
Heat oil to 300 F and fry the buckwheat until a dark almond brown. Drain, put on some paper towel and season with a pinch of salt. Store in an airtight container until ready to use.