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Grilled Mortadella Skewers with Burrata & Italian Herb Sauce

Grilled Mortadella Skewers with Burrata & Italian Herb Sauce

Fold, skewer, grill, char and you've got the most unexpectedly delicious thing on the table with creamy burrata cheese and bright Italian herb sauce.
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Prep Time 35 minutes
Cook Time 4 minutes
Total Time 39 minutes
Course Appetizers
Cuisine Italian
Servings 6
Calories 442 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 Tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 2 Tablespoons hot water
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 2 Tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh mint chopped
  • Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
  • 6 slices bread sourdough or ciabatta, brushed generously with olive oil
  • 24 slices mortadella thin slices work best
  • 2 burrata balls (4oz each)
  • Pinch sea salt and black pepper
  • Extra virgin olive oil to drizzle over the burrata

Instructions
 

Make the Italian Herb Sauce

  • To make the Italian salsa verde, add the olive oil, lemon juice, hot water, garlic, oregano, parsley, mint, and red pepper flakes to a cup that you can use your immersion blender in or add the ingredients to a blender. Thoroughly blend, then place the sauce into the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. The sauce should be quite thin but will thicken a bit in the fridge.
    ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, 2 Tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon lemon juice, 2 Tablespoons hot water, 1 clove garlic, 2 teaspoons dried oregano, 2 Tablespoons fresh parsley, 1 Tablespoon fresh mint, Pinch crushed red pepper flakes

Prep the Grill and Toast the Bread

  • Start the grill. It should be on medium-high to high heat. Add the oiled bread to the grill and let it toast for about a minute per side. Remove and set aside.
    6 slices bread

Fold and Skewer the Mortadella Slices:

  • Fold the thin mortadella slices into a matchbook sized piece with several folds. Slide them onto skewers (we like 3 skewers of 8 pieces each).
    24 slices mortadella
  • Remove the salsa verde from the refrigerator and give it another blast with the immersion blender or blender. Brush all sides of the mortadella with the salsa verde.

Grill the Skewers:

  • Place the skewers on the grill and brush with the salsa verde. Turn the skewers after about a minute and note the color. The mortadella should be charred on the edges but not burned. Each time you turn the skewers, brush with more herb sauce. Turn a total of three times brushing each time and when they come off the grill, brush again generously with the sauce.

Plate and Serve:

  • Place the burrata on a plate and dress with the remaining extra virgin olive oil, sea salt, and black pepper. Place the skewers on the plate, or remove (if desired) the mortadella from the skewers and plate around the burrata and with the grilled bread. Serve with a side of extra Italian Herb Sauce.
    2 burrata balls, Extra virgin olive oil, Pinch sea salt and black pepper

Notes

Substitutions and Variations:
  • Add pistachios to the salsa verde. Blend in a tablespoon of toasted pistachios for texture and a nutty richness that mirrors the pistachios often found in good mortadella.
  • Use fresh mozzarella instead of burrata. It's not as creamy, but it still works. Tear it into chunks and drizzle with olive oil and salt just like you would with burrata.
  • Grill stone fruit alongside the skewers. Halved peaches or nectarines get caramelized and sweet on the grill, and they pair beautifully with the savory mortadella and creamy cheese.
  • Make it a full meal. Serve the skewers over a bed of dressed greens or with a side of creamy polenta. The richness plays well with something starchy and comforting.
Storage:
  • How to store leftover mortadella skewers:
    • This dish is best eaten immediately, but if you have leftovers, store the grilled mortadella and burrata separately. The mortadella will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days, but it won't be crispy anymore. The burrata should be eaten within 24 hours or it starts to lose its creamy texture and turns rubbery.
    • The Italian herb sauce stores beautifully. Keep it in a sealed container in the fridge for up to a week. The flavors actually get better after a day or two. Just give it a stir or quick blend before using.
  • How to serve leftover mortadella skewers:
    • To reheat the mortadella, throw it back on a hot grill or in a screaming hot cast iron skillet for a minute per side. 
  • Can you freeze leftover mortadella skewers?
    • Freezing leftovers is not recommended for this recipe.
Top Tips from the Pros:
  1. Brush the skewers while they're still on the grill. The heat helps the salsa verde caramelize slightly and bond to the meat. If you only brush them when they come off the grill, you're just adding sauce, not building flavor.
  2. Use flat metal skewers if you have them. Round skewers let the mortadella spin when you try to flip them, which makes it harder to get even char on all sides. Flat skewers hold everything in place.
  3. Let the Italian herb sauce rest in the fridge. This isn't optional. The flavors need time to come together, and the sauce needs to thicken slightly so it doesn't just drip off the meat.
If you're making this for a crowd, you can prepare the herb sauce and fold the mortadella onto skewers a few hours ahead. Keep the skewers in the fridge, but let them come to room temperature before grilling so they cook evenly.

Nutrition

Calories: 442kcalCarbohydrates: 16gProtein: 19gFat: 35gSaturated Fat: 12gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 60mgSodium: 884mgPotassium: 165mgFiber: 2gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 425IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 262mgIron: 2mg
Keyword burrata, classic Italian recipes, grill, Italian appetizers, mortadella, Summer recipes
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