Panzanella

Panzanella

Panzanella is a great way to use up stale bread. Soaked in tomato pulp, olive oil and vinegar, the bread really gets a second life. This salad is super fresh, with a salty hit from the addition of anchovies and capers. I’ve adapted this recipe from Marcella Hazan’s Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking. Panzanella is great the day it’s made, or even the day after, but any longer and the bread gets too soggy.

Serves 2

Ingredients

1 small red onion
1/2 loaf stale bread, such as sourdough
1 clove garlic
3 anchovy fillets
1 tbsp capers
5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp (plus a splash) red wine vinegar
1/2 a yellow or orange pepper
5 medium sized tomatoes
Handful of cherry tomatoes
1/2 a cucumber
Handful of fresh basil leaves
Salt and pepper

Method

1. Thinly slice the red onion and soak in a bowl of water.

2. Tear the bread into bite sized pieces and grill in an 180°C oven until just toasted.

3. Place the toasted bread in a bowl and squeeze over the pulp of 1 medium sized tomato, 1 tbsp of the olive oil and a splash of red wine vinegar. Mix together and leave to soak for at least 15 minutes.

4. In a mortar and pestle (or with a knife) crush the garlic, anchovies and capers. Place in a small bowl with the remaining 4 tbsp of olive oil, 1 tbsp of red wine vinegar, and salt. Roughly chop the yellow or orange pepper and add to the bowl.

5. Chop the cucumber and tomatoes (I halve the cherry tomatoes and chop the medium sized tomatoes into about six pieces).

6. Mix everything together in a big bowl with a handful of fresh basil leaves and some freshly cracked black pepper.