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This balsamic fig and stracciatella tartine covers brunch, lunch, or whatever you’re looking for in a savory appetizer. Creamy stracciatella on toasted baguette, crispy bacon, and figs braised in balsamic and honey until they turn syrupy. Finish with some black pepper and chives for a sweet and savory bite that is great for almost any occasion.
Table of Contents
Homemade Stracciatella
What is Stracciatella?
You know the creamy center that spills out when you cut into burrata? That’s stracciatella. Fine shreds of fresh mozzarella soaked in cream until they turn into something you can spread, rich and just barely sweet. And tartines are only the start. Pasta, pizza, roasted vegetables, plain toast – if it can hold a spoonful, it’s better with stracciatella on it.
Why is Homemade Stracciatella Better?
You can buy stracciatella, but it’s not cheap, and half the time the store doesn’t have it anyway. Homemade is two ingredients and five minutes: shred fresh mozzarella by hand into thin strands, mix in heavy cream, cover and refrigerate. Shred as thin as you can, the thinner the strands, the more cream they drink up. The hard part is waiting, it needs at least 4 hours in the fridge, and it’s even creamier overnight. It keeps 2 to 3 days in there, but it won’t last that long, trust me.
Balsamic Braised Figs
Figs braised in balsamic vinegar and honey turn into a rich, sweet-and-savory glaze. The fig and honey sugars caramelize as they cook, deepening the sweetness. The balsamic adds tang, and the salsa macha brings a little spice. The result is a jam-like texture with a caramelized, deep flavor.
How to Pick Ripe Figs
The best way to pick a ripe fig is with your hands, not your eyes. A ripe fig feels soft and heavy, and the softer it is, the juicier it is. Firm figs were picked young, and a fig stops making sugar the moment it leaves the tree, so firm also means less sweet. Farmers pick early on purpose so the fruit survives shipping. If yours are firm, a couple of days on the counter will soften them up.
Once the fig has passed the squeeze test, look at the color. Black Mission figs should run deep purple, close to black. The lighter the skin, the earlier it came off the tree.
Don’t let looks scare you off. Wrinkles, pockmarks, and stretch marks are normal on fruit this tender, and the ugly figs are usually the sweetest ones in the carton. You’ll know a fig is bad when it smells sour, leaks, or shows mold.
For more information on other varieties, see this guide about figs.
Crispy Bacon
For this recipe you want your bacon fully crisp. Crispy bacon with creamy stracciatella gives you the best texture for this open-faced sandwich. For the perfect crunch, I like to cut mine before cooking so that each bit renders and you don’t have any floppy bites. Here are the two ways I do it.
Stovetop: This is my preferred method because you have more control. Add the chopped bacon to a cold pan and bring the heat up with it. Stir occasionally so the pieces cook evenly instead of clumping. It’ll run 8-12 minutes total. The pieces start out clumped together as they release fat, then separate on their own as they finish. Once they’ve pulled apart and gone deep golden brown, pull them.
Oven: Spread the chopped bacon in a single layer on a parchment-lined sheet pan at 400°F (205°C) for 15-20 minutes, stirring once halfway through. Pull when the pieces are deep golden brown.
Make Ahead: Cook the bacon up to a day ahead. Let it cool completely, then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. To bring the crunch back, reheat in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 5 minutes, or in the microwave for 20 to 30 seconds.
Ingredient Swaps
Bacon → Crisp prosciutto works in place of bacon. Lay slices flat on a parchment-lined sheet and bake at 400°F (205°C) until deep golden and brittle, 8-10 minutes.
Salsa Macha → Chili crisp is the best swap if you want something more available at a regular grocery store.
Stracciatella → Store-bought burrata works if you don’t want to make stracciatella from scratch. Tear it open and spread the creamy center the same way.
Baguette → Ciabatta or sourdough both toast to a crust that stays crisp under the stracciatella. Sourdough is actually the more traditional French choice – in France a tartine is usually built on thick slices of pain de campagne, a rustic country loaf.
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Similar Tartine Recipes
Mortadella Tartine with Stracciatella and Pistachio: Mortadella seared until golden and blistered, layered over stracciatella with a lemony pistachio sauce and a honey drizzle.
Grilled Peach and Stracciatella Tartine: Prosciutto-wrapped peaches grilled until golden, set on stracciatella with a chunky pistachio herb sauce.
Smoked Salmon Tartine: Smoked salmon in a citrusy dijon honey marinade over whipped caper dill cream cheese, topped with fried shallots.
Fig Toast with Whipped Brie: Fresh figs pressed into a jammy layer on fried brioche, piped with whipped brie and finished with a port balsamic reduction, honey, and pistachios.
Frequently Asked Questions
Tartine is just the French word for an open-faced sandwich, from tartiner, to spread. Bread on the bottom, toppings on top, no lid.
Cut into eight pieces from one baguette, this feeds about four people as an appetizer, fewer if it’s your main.
The components, yes. The stracciatella needs at least 4 hours in the fridge anyway and keeps 2 to 3 days. The figs can be braised a day ahead and rewarmed gently on the stove. The bacon can be cooked a day ahead too. Toast the baguette and assemble right before serving. You do need to wait to assemble it till right before serving.
Yes. Stracciatella is the inside of burrata, so tear a ball open and use the creamy center. It’s faster but more expensive, and you’ll pay for a shell you’re not using.
Black Mission figs come twice a year. A short early crop in June and the main harvest from August through October. Outside those months, plums or pears braise well in the same honey-balsamic base. The timing stays about the same, cook until the fruit softens and the balsamic turns syrupy.
Barely. One tablespoon of salsa macha across the whole batch reads as smoky warmth, not heat. Leave it out entirely if you want none, or add more at the end if you want more.
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- large skillet
Ingredients
- 8 oz fresh mozzarella
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 pint figs, halved
- 3 tbsp honey
- 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp salsa macha
- 4-5 slices bacon, thinly sliced
- 1 baguette, halved lengthwise
- olive oil, for drizzling
- black pepper, to taste
- chives, chopped, to taste
- flaky salt, to taste
Instructions
- Make the Stracciatella: Shred the mozzarella by hand into very small pieces. Add the heavy cream and mix well. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 2 days.8 oz fresh mozzarella, 3/4 cup heavy cream
- Braise the Figs: Preheat a pan over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add the figs, honey and balsamic vinegar. Braise until the balsamic is thickened and syrupy, 6-8 minutes. Add the salsa macha and cook 1 minute more. Remove from heat.1 pint figs, 3 tbsp honey, 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar, 1 tbsp salsa macha
- Cook the Bacon: Fry the bacon in a skillet until crispy. Drain on paper towels.4-5 slices bacon
- Toast the Baguette: Drizzle the cut sides with olive oil and toast on the grill or stovetop until golden.1 baguette, olive oil
- Assemble: Spread the stracciatella over the toasted baguette. Season with black pepper, drizzle with olive oil and top with the bacon. Cut into squares. Spoon the figs and some of the balsamic syrup over each piece. Finish with chives and flaky salt.black pepper, chives, flaky salt
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Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
