Grilled Nectarines and Burrata

These grilled nectarines and burrata are the perfect combination of savory and sweet; sweet nectarines infused with smoky grilled flavor, paired with creamy burrata and finished with balsamic drizzle and flaky salt.

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If you know anything about me, you know that I am most definitely a savory-and-sweet kind of girl. Recipes like my roasted fennel with date syrup and prosciutto wrapped dates are evidence of how well these two flavors go together. And now that the weather is warm (who am I kidding, it’s downright hot), I’ve been craving any and every kind of grilled food. Surprisingly I don’t have any recipes on this blog for any type of grilled fruit (until now), but it’s actually one of my favorite ways to combine savory and sweet; any kind of juicy and ripe fruit infused with some char and smoky grilled flavor. So on a recent weekday off I decided to make just that for lunch, pairing grilled fruit with my favorite cheese in the world to make these grilled nectarines with burrata.

This savory-sweet pairing is actually a staple combination in some of my favorite (and most simple) Italian dishes, as well as in cultures from all around the world. Think of the combination of salty prosciutto with sweet melon, or even mozzarella cheese with a super sweet and ripe tomato (which is technically a fruit too). I wanted to channel the vibe of those dishes while still putting my own unique spin on them. And since I had recently picked up a flat of about 15 nectarines, which ripened into some of the juiciest and sweetest nectarines I’ve ever had, I decided that would be the perfect vessel for the savory-sweet-smoky vibe I was going for.

GRILLED NECTARINES 101

Grilling fruit is really one of the absolute easiest things you could grill. You don’t have to worry about getting them to the right temperature or overcooking them (although you can burn them, so keep an eye out). All you need to do is wait for those beautiful grill marks to appear, proof that the fruit is caramelized and infused with smoky flavor. I like to prepare my fruit the same way I would with anything else I’m grilling, by tossing it with olive oil and salt. The oil will prevent it from sticking to the grill, and the salt will really drive home the savory flavor you’re trying to achieve. And this technique doesn’t just work for nectarines. I’ve grilled everything from figs to pineapple (for an incredible grilled pineapple salsa that I’ll post the recipe for soon), and you could choose to grill whatever fruit your heart desires.

A PERFECT PAIRING

While you could most definitely eat these grilled nectarines and burrata exactly as they are, I like the add a few more ingredients to this give this dish a little extra flavor. I plated them on a bed of mixed greens (you can use whatever greens you like here), for some extra summertime flavor and make me feel slightly better about the much-larger-than-serving-size portion of burrata I was going to consume. I topped them with fresh basil, because really is there any pairing better than burrata (or mozzarella) and fresh basil? And then a drizzle of a thick balsamic glaze (we get this one from a farmer’s market in the Hamptons every summer and it’s our absolute favorite) and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt. These two ingredients really drive home the savory-sweet flavor that is the hallmark of this dish.

But I think my favorite part of this dish is that while it’s so simple to make, it looks appetizer that you’d get in a really fancy restaurant. Instead of feeling like a quickly thrown together lunch (which is technically was), it felt really special, like I was treating myself to something lavish. And as fancy as this dish looks, the best part is that is tastes just as special.