Panzanella
Course: RecipesCuisine: ItalianServings
6-8
servingsA rustic, chopped summer salad that incorporates stale bread, vinegar, tomatoes, cucumbers, and a range of fresh ingredients.
Ingredients
1 red salad onion, diced
1 red pepper
8 ripe tomatoes
200g stale sour dough bread
4 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp caper berries
1 continental cucumber, peeled and cut into chunks
1 small clove of garlic, crushed
6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Small bunch of fresh basil
Celery leaves
12 black olives
capsicum and tomato ‘dust’ – see note
Directions
- Put the onion slices in a bowl of cold water with a pinch of salt and leave to soak for an hour.
- Toast the capsicum over a gas flame or in a very hot oven. Set aside to cool, then peel off the dark outer skin. Reserve the skin. Cut the capsicum flesh into short strips.
- Blanch the tomatoes in hot water. Peel and reserve the skins. Cut the tomatoes into large dice and place in a colander set over a bowl. Salt lightly and leave to drain while you prepare the other ingredients. This will create a lovely juice to add to the dressing.
- Cut the stale bread into chunks about the same size as the tomatoes. If the bread is still quite soft, dry it out in a slow oven for 10-15minutes, then, moisten with vinegar.
- Drain the onion and add to the bowl, along with the caper-berries and cucumber chunks. Add the tomatoes to the bowl.
- Stir in the crushed garlic into the tomato juice and then whisk in the olive oil. Season to taste.
- Pour onto the salad and toss thoroughly. Roughly tear the basil leaves and sprinkle on top along with the celery leaves and black olives.
- Allow to sit for at least 15 minutes. Serve sprinkled with capsicum and tomato ‘dust’ and a drizzle of basil oil.
Notes
- Capsicum and tomato ‘dust’ – Spread the reserved capsicum and tomato peels onto an oven tray and dry out in a low oven until dry and crisp. Allow to cool then blitz them in a food processor to create a fine `dust’. Use this to add flavour to soups, sauces or in place of salt.
- Herb (basil) oil – Leaves and stems of 1 bunch basil (or any other herb), 250 ml olive oil. Blanch the herbs in boiling water very briefly. Drain thoroughly. Transfer to blender with the oil and puree until very smooth. Strain though a fine sieve lined with muslin cloth.