Roasted Fennel, Burrata and Crispy Parma Ham Bruschetta

By Gabriella EnglishPublished: Mar 2, 2022

Hannah Hall

These bruschetta would be a delicious starter for a dinner party, or great as a light lunch. By roasting fennel the flavours mellow and gives it a slightly sweet and mildly aniseed flavour. This contrasts perfectly with the creamy burrata and salty, crispy parma ham. To make this vegetarian you could leave out the parma ham and replace it with some olives, if you like.

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Yields:: 12
Prep Time:: 10 mins
Cook Time:: 1 hr
Total Time:: 1 hr 10 mins

Ingredients

2
large bulbs fennel
4 tbsp.
olive oil
4
slices parma ham
400 g
baguette
1
garlic clove, peeled
2
x 150g packs burrata

Directions

1. Step 1Preheat oven to 220°C (200°C fan). Halve the the fennel bulbs lengthways and remove the core. Halve lengthways again and cut into thin slices. Add this to a high sided medium roasting tray, drizzle with 2 tbsp oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat then roast for 40-45 minutes, stirring every 15-20 mins, until softened and turning golden brown.
2. Step 2Meanwhile, heat a wide non stick frying pan over medium high heat. Once hot add the parma ham (you don’t need any oil) and cook for 1-2 mins each side until golden brown and crispy. You might need to do this in two batches. Transfer to some kitchen paper and set aside to cool. Once cooled, break each piece of parma ham into rough thirds.
3. Step 3Trim the ends from the baguette and cut into 12 diagonal slices. Lay on a baking tray and drizzle with the remaining oil. Towards the end of the fennel cooking time, add the baguette slices to the oven for 5-8 mins, until golden brown. When you remove them from the oven, rub the top of the baguette slices with the garlic clove. This gives a lovely garlic flavour to each slice.
4. Step 4Leave the fennel to cool slightly. Drain the burrata and pat dry.
5. Step 5Transfer the baguette slices to a serving plate and divide the fennel between them. Tear or cut the burrata into 12 pieces and top the fennel with this then finally top with the crispy parma ham pieces. Serve immediately.