From the Cangshan Kitchen
Fig, Prosciutto & Burrata Salad
Some of the best dishes are barely recipes at all. This one leans on ripe figs, good prosciutto, and a ball of burrata that does most of the heavy lifting. Your only real job is clean knife work and a little restraint. Fifteen minutes, no stove, and a salad that looks like you fussed over it far longer than you did.
Ingredients
- 8 ripe fresh figs
- 4 oz thinly sliced prosciutto
- 8 oz burrata, at room temperature
- 3 cups baby arugula
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp balsamic glaze
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1/4 cup toasted walnuts, roughly chopped
- To taste flaky sea salt and cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Prep the figs Trim the stems, then quarter each fig from top to bottom. A sharp chef's knife matters here. Figs are soft, and a dull edge will crush them instead of cutting clean through the skin. Let the weight of the blade do the work.
- Build the base Scatter the arugula across a large serving platter. Drizzle with half the olive oil and season lightly with salt. Dressing the greens first keeps every layer seasoned, not just the top.
- Add the prosciutto Tear the prosciutto into loose ribbons and fold them over the greens in soft, uneven piles. Draping rather than laying flat gives the salad height and makes every forkful easier to gather.
- Place the burrata and figs Set the burrata in the center and tear it open gently so the cream begins to spill. Tuck the fig quarters around it, cut side up.
- Finish Drizzle everything with the remaining olive oil, the balsamic glaze, and the honey. Scatter the walnuts over the top, then finish with flaky salt and a few cracks of black pepper. Serve right away with warm bread.
Chef's Tips
- Pull the burrata from the fridge 30 minutes before serving. Cold burrata is firm and shy. Room temperature burrata is creamy and generous.
- Choose figs that give slightly when pressed. If yours are firm, leave them on the counter for a day or two, stem side down.
- No fresh figs in season? Halved ripe peaches or roasted grapes work beautifully with the same method.
- Skip bottled balsamic glaze if you have ten minutes. Simmer half a cup of balsamic vinegar over low heat until it coats the back of a spoon, then cool.
Tools Used
KITA SERIES 8 in Chef's Knife
Forged from our proprietary X-7 Damascus steel, the KITA SERIES chef's knife moves through delicate fruit and paper-thin cured meats without bruising or tearing. The balance point sits right at the bolster, so precise work like quartering figs feels effortless.
Shop the KITA SERIES