When I'm cooking for a dinner party, whether it's for 4 or 6 or 20, I like to have as much done ahead as possible so I'm not stuck in the kitchen while everyone is socialising. Layering everything for dinner on a single large platter makes an impressive presentation and does away with the need for a centrepiece (bonus!). Add a warm crusty loaf of ciabatta or a baguette and serve it with it a hearty red wine.
This recipe easily doubles by adding more meat, an extra burrata and a few more tomatoes. You should have plenty of marinade for up to 2 pounds (1kg).
For the Steak
Marinade
½ cup oil
¼ cup red wine vinegar
¼ cup red wine
2 teaspoons dried basil
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 teaspoons dried oregano
3 cloves garlic, minced or grated
Steak
1 pound (500g) skirt steak or flank steak
Salt & pepper to taste
To Make
Mix all ingredients for the marinade together in a large measuring cup, whisk well.
Wash and dry your steak. Salt & pepper both sides. Place into a resealable plastic bag. Pour in marinade and gently massage into steak. Seal bag. Place in refrigerator for at least 6 hours and up to 24 hours.
Remove steak from refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature. Grill steak until medium rare. Let rest at least 20 minutes. Slice steak against the grain.
The steak can be grilled and left unsliced for several hours. Slice and place on platter up to 2 hours before serving. Cover loosely with foil or a clean tea towel and leave at room temp, until ready to serve.
For the Roasted Tomatoes
Preheat oven to 400F or 200C
1 pound (500g) tomatoes on the vine. If you can't find these, cherry tomatoes work well, just watch the cooking time.
4 tablespoons good olive oil
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried thyme
Salt & pepper to taste
Place tomatoes in 9 x 9 square pan. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle spices and gently massage oil and spices over tomatoes to coat. Be careful not to pull them off their stems.
Roast in the oven for about 30 minutes until skin starts to blister and they become soft. You don't want them to fall apart. So keep an eye on them.
Remove from oven, and leave in the pan to cool until ready place on platter. Reserve juices.
For the Burrata
2 balls of burrata
6-8 leaves fresh basil
Good quality olive oil
Good quality balsamic vinegar
Cut burrata balls into halves.
Cut basil in strips.
See below for assembling.
To Assemble
Place sliced steak down the centre of the platter.
Place tomatoes next to the steak and drizzle with their pan juices. Nestle burrata halves between steak and tomatoes. Drizzle burrata with reserved tomato juices, plus a little good quality olive oil and balsamic. Sprinkle with basil strips.
The platter can be assembled up to 2 hours before serving and left at room temperature.