Summer Stone Fruit and Burrata Board

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Large wooden cutting board or serving platter (at least 16 inches)
• •Outdoor grill or stovetop grill pan
• •Long-handled tongs
• •Pastry brush

Instructions

1. 1

   Select and prep the fruit

   Choose stone fruit that yields slightly to pressure at the stem end but remains firm overall. Overripe fruit will collapse on the grill. Halve the peaches or nectarines along their natural seam, twist gently to separate, and remove the pits. Brush the cut sides lightly with one tablespoon of olive oil. Don't season yet. Salt draws out moisture and prevents proper caramelization.

   Yellow peaches caramelize more dramatically than white varieties due to higher acidity. Both work, but yellow peaches photograph beautifully with those dark grill marks.
2. 2

   Heat the grill

   Preheat your grill to high, at least 450 degrees. If using charcoal, wait until the coals glow orange and are covered with white ash. Clean the grates thoroughly with a wire brush while hot, then oil them by holding a paper towel soaked in vegetable oil with long tongs and rubbing across the grates. This prevents sticking. You want the fruit to release cleanly, char marks intact.

3. 3

   Grill the stone fruit

   Place the peach halves cut-side down on the hottest part of the grill. Do not move them. Resist every urge to peek. After two minutes, lift one edge gently. You should see defined grill marks and caramelized sugars turning the flesh golden brown. If not, give it another thirty seconds. Flip and grill the skin side for one minute just to warm through. Transfer to a plate. The fruit should hold its shape completely while being tender enough to cut with a fork.

   A grill pan on the stovetop works nearly as well. Heat it smoking hot over high flame, and follow the same timing.
4. 4

   Prepare the burrata

   Remove the burrata from its liquid and let it drain on a paper towel for one minute. The exterior should be slightly tacky, not wet. Keep the balls whole until you're ready to serve. Cutting too early allows the creamy center to escape and pool, losing that dramatic moment when guests tear into it themselves.

5. 5

   Toast the bread

   Slice the baguette on a sharp bias into half-inch pieces. Brush lightly with the remaining olive oil. Grill for thirty seconds per side or toast under a broiler until golden and crisp at the edges but still tender within. Grilled bread adds another layer of char flavor that echoes the fruit.

6. 6

   Compose the board

   Choose a wooden board or large platter with character. Place the two burrata balls slightly off-center, leaving room for the fruit. Arrange the grilled peach halves around the cheese, cut sides up to show the caramelization. Drape the prosciutto in loose, ruffly folds between the elements. You want it to look casual, almost tossed, not flat and uniform. Set the honeycomb piece where guests can easily break off chunks. Scatter the marcona almonds in the gaps.

7. 7

   Finish and season

   Tear the basil leaves roughly and scatter over the entire board. Drizzle the remaining olive oil over the burrata and fruit. Spoon the aged balsamic in thin ribbons across everything, concentrating slightly more over the cheese. Finish with a generous pinch of flaky salt and several cracks of black pepper. Pile the grilled bread alongside or in a separate basket.

   True aged balsamic has the consistency of syrup and tastes of figs and molasses. The thin, acidic grocery store version won't do. If your balsamic pours like water, reduce it by half in a small saucepan until it coats a spoon.
8. 8

   Serve immediately

   Present the board while the fruit is still warm. Invite guests to tear into the burrata with their hands or a small knife, mixing the creamy interior with fruit and prosciutto in each bite. The honeycomb is meant to be eaten wax and all, spread on bread or crumbled over the cheese. This is food for sharing, for reaching across, for making a beautiful mess.

Chef Tips

• •Seek out burrata from an Italian specialty shop or a producer who makes it fresh daily. Mass-market burrata often sits too long and develops a sour edge. Fresh burrata tastes of sweet cream and has a delicate, milky quality that factory versions lack entirely.
• •Prosciutto di Parma and prosciutto di San Daniele are worth the premium over domestic versions. Ask your deli counter to slice it paper-thin, almost transparent. Thick slices fight back against your teeth rather than melting.
• •This board pairs magnificently with a chilled Provençal rosé or a crisp Vermentino. The wine's acidity cuts through the richness of the cheese and prosciutto while echoing the fruit's brightness.
• •Stone fruit season runs June through September in most regions. At the peak in July and August, the peaches practically perfume the farmers' market. That's your window. Don't attempt this with mealy, out-of-season fruit shipped from another hemisphere.

Advance Preparation

• •Bread can be sliced several hours ahead and kept covered with a towel.
• •Fruit can be halved and pitted up to two hours before grilling. Keep cut-side down on a plate, unrefrigerated.
• •Prosciutto can be arranged on a parchment-lined sheet, covered, and refrigerated for up to four hours. Bring to room temperature before serving.
• •The board itself cannot be assembled ahead. Grilled fruit cools, burrata weeps, basil wilts. This is a last-minute composition by design.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 280g)