Panzanella is a thrifty Tuscan tomato salad will have you deliberately buying too much bread. And, waiting for it to go stale. You don’t have to wait too long – day-old bread is perfect.
serves 2+
~500g juicy, ripe tomato/es.
1/2 red onion; finely sliced
1 yellow pepper
1 red pepper
2 tbsp caper berries
200g good, stale bread: sourdough is great
4 tbsp of good quality red or white wine vinegar
handful of black olives
a healthy bunch of basil
for the dressing
4 tbsp good olive oil
Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
- Place the peppers over the open flames of your hob. Turning occasionally with tongs until they are blackened all over. Remove to an adequately sized bowl and cover – I use a plate. Leave to one side for 20 minutes to steam.
- Rinse, peel and cut your tomatoes into gachos (bite-sized pieces); lightly season and place in a colander (or sieve) over a bowl.
- Using a mandolin – or your knife skills – to finely slice the onion.
- Break the bread into bite-sized pieces.
- In a large bowl, add the bread pieces and drizzle over the vinegar before adding the onions and the caper berries.
- Remove the blackened skins from the peppers: they should come off with a light rub.
- Take the peppers and carefully open them, reserving the liquid which will we add to the tomato liquid for the dressing.
- Then, remove the stalks, seed bulbs and any remaining loose seeds. Cut the peppers into fine strips and add to the salad bowl.
- Give the colander holding the tomatoes a little shake before tipping the tomatoes into the bowl contain the bread.
- Mix in the olives and the basil leaves.
- For the dressing, combine the sieved liquid from the tomatoes and the peppers. Season well and whisk in the olive oil.
- Dress and toss before serving.
JAM x