There is a moment when you open the fridge, see a single burrata, and it becomes clear that inside that little round white pouch lies the answer to dinner, to a picnic, to unannounced guests, to everything. The Italian cheese product made of mozzarella on the outside and creamy stracciatella on the inside is the least demanding ingredient that gives the most in the kitchen.

First rule: burrata has to be fresh. Keep it at 4 to 8 degrees Celsius, always in its original packaging with the liquid, and serve it at room temperature. If you take it cold from the fridge and put it straight on the plate, the cream curdles up. Take it out 20-30 minutes before the meal and let it breathe - the flavour and texture will tell you all you need to know about the difference.

The best-known classic: caprese with burrata - tomatoes, basil, olive oil, salt, pepper. Full stop. There is no point adding five more ingredients when these five do the magic. You can also go with avocado toast and anchovies if you want something more specific for brunch - the cream of the burrata softens the salt of the fish, the texture of the bread carries the whole story.

For a main course: tagliatelle with peas, mushrooms and burrata - a pasta that cooks in 12 minutes, with the cheese topping going into the olive oil and stracciatella sauce at the end. Or fettuccine with burrata and cherry tomatoes - same idea, in a cold summer version. An alternative many people don't know: pizza with burrata, rocket and walnuts - a classic margherita, plus this on top after baking.

One surprise from the repertoire: beetroot carpaccio with burrata and pesto. It sounds unusual, but beetroot has a natural sweetness that balances the cream of the burrata, and the pesto adds the green. Visually too - the colour combination (deep red, white, green) looks like a starred restaurant, not something you put together at home in 15 minutes.

With burrata you don't play for long. You don't bake it, you don't boil it, you don't melt it. You just serve it as it is - and let the other ingredients play around it. That is the whole philosophy: a quality ingredient, minimal intervention, maximum glory.