Peppers Agrodolce with Burrata
Agrodolce in Italian translates to ‘sour-sweet’. It’s a sauce traditionally made by reducing sweet components like sugar with sour ingredients like vinegar. Agrodolce is awesome on so many things like meat, cheese plates, and even veggies. The complex sweet and sour flavors make the perfect compliment to foods with rich and savory characteristics.
This take on agrodolce is a bit different. There is no sugar or reducing, but the classic sweet and sour profile is still there. In this version, fresh bell pepper gets a hot marinade bath that semi-cooks them and infuses some serious flavor. These marinated peppers go great on the same kind of stuff that agrodolce does. Think grilled meat, seared salmon, and rich cheese.
Burrata is a special cheese unlike any other. It’s made by filling a solid mozzarella shell with gooey cheese curds and cream, resulting in a luscious and rich bite that goes perfectly with crunchy, crusty bread and any sort of bright and acidic food to round it out with contrast. This is where the peppers come in! Being everything the burrata is not, they make the perfect compliment to enjoy alongside the cheese.
This addicting combo is a super simple, yet impressive dish to bring to a summer dinner party or enjoy a warm weekend afternoon with friends or family. It’s also a great way to incorporate the coming bounty of peppers this summer in a way you may not have prepped them before. I hope you enjoy this simple dish and trying out a new technique with this recipe!
Peppers Agrodolce with Burrata
Makes ~2 cups peppers
2 cups (200g) red bell pepper, thinly sliced
½ cup (110g) olive oil
½ cup (135g) red wine vinegar
3 cloves garlic, smashed
1 tsp. fennel seeds
¼ tsp. kosher salt
¼ tsp. red pepper flakes
Few grinds fresh black pepper
1-2 balls burrata
Basil to serve
Place peppers in a medium-large heat proof bowl.
Combine the remaining ingredients in a sauce pot. Turn heat to low and let heat up gently. When mixture is simmering/bubbling, remove from heat and pour over peppers. Let sit for 1-2 hours, until reaches room temperature.
Serve with the burrata and good toasted bread. Garnish with fresh basil.
Leftover peppers can be stored in the fridge for about a week. Just bring back to room temperature to eat.
Notes: Red is the preferred bell pepper type here as it is the sweetest. Orange or yellow may be okay, but I would stay away from green bell pepper as it just won’t bring the same flavor to this dish. Add more chili flakes if you want it spicy - it’s pretty mild as is.