|
PANZANELLA IS PERFECT FOR SUMMER
Summer is the perfect time to enjoy Panzanella! Of course, first
you have to know what it is! Panzanella is known in English as Tuscan
Bread Salad. Essentially, it's leftover bread coupled with the absolute
freshest, most flavorful and colorful tomatoes, and some other yummy
ingredients. If leftover, slightly stale bread doesn't excite you,
please trust me that these flavors will awaken your taste buds.
Tuscan cuisine is known for its simplicity, so each ingredient must
contribute something. Make sure all of the ingredients are top quality
(including the bread, even though it is leftover or stale; use a
sturdy peasant style bread for best results). The Tuscans are also
known for their frugality, and I applaud their use of leftover bread
to create this magnificent salad. This recipe (and the variations
below) can serve two as a first course, and can easily be doubled
or tripled.
Salad Ingredients:
- ¼ lb slightly stale, leftover bread (preferably a robust,
peasant-style bread, like Italian, sourdough, or similar), torn
into 1 to 2 inch pieces (about 2 c)
- ¼ c water
- ¼ lb tomatoes, juicy and ripe, thinly sliced or cubed
(about 1 c)
- 1 small onion, halved and thinly sliced
(about ¼ to ½ c)
- ¼ t salt
- ¼ t ground black pepper (about 10 grinds)
Dressing:
- 2 T extra virgin olive oil
- 1 T red wine vinegar
- ¼ t salt
- ¼ t ground black pepper (about 10 grinds)
Place the torn bread pieces in a bowl; drizzle with the water and
toss; allow the moist bread to sit for about 30 minutes. After the
bread has absorbed the water and sat for 30 minutes, squeeze the
bread in handfuls over the remaining bread in the bowl to remove
any excess water and to distribute the water to other parts of the
bread; there won't be much excess water, so don't try too hard,
and be sure to fluff the bread after you've squeezed it, and put
it in a fresh bowl large enough to allow all of the ingredients;
discard any remaining water. To the fluffed bread, add the tomatoes,
onion, ¼ t salt and ¼ t ground pepper (just grind
it onto the salad ingredients). Stir to combine, and set aside to
allow the tomato juices to soak into the bread. Prepare the dressing
by combining the remaining ingredients in a small bowl and mixing
with a fork or whisk (a fork is easier to clean). Drizzle the mixed
dressing over the salad, gently stirring as you drizzle to make
sure the dressing touches each piece of bread. Serve immediately,
or chill for 30 minutes, covered.
Variations:
Bread: As I've stated, it is best
to use a coarse-crumbed, rustic, peasant-style bread like Italian,
sourdough, or "true" French bread (lots of poorly made
French bread has a fine crumb that doesn't suit this salad); if
the bread is slightly chewy, that's terrific! The important point
is to tear the bread; do not cube it, and do not toast it as some
recipes suggest (you can do these things, but it won't be traditional
Panzanella).
Tomatoes: You can use any tomatoes,
as long as they are fully ripe, in-season, and preferably local
(if they've been transported any distance, they weren't picked ripe,
and so their flavor will be less-than-desirable). Use the usual
red tomatoes, or use multicolored cherry or grape tomatoes, or use
my favorite, a variety of heirloom tomatoes that will add flavor
and color to the finished salad.
Onion: You can use any onion for
this recipe, knowing that different onions have different characteristics.
Yellow onions are sharp, white onions are less sharp, and red onions
are relatively gentle; I like to use red onions for their color
and flavor. You can also use truly mild onions like Vidalia and
Maui, but they won't be as attractive as the red onions. You can
also use slivered shallots and scallions for a different flavor
and effect. I have also made this recipe with roasted garlic (use
half as much roasted garlic as the recipe calls for onions); I don't
recommend raw garlic, and I think elephant garlic is just too boring
for anything.
Vinegar: I usually encourage experimenting
with other vinegars or citrus juice, and you can do this, but red
wine vinegar will really give the best flavor experience (cider
vinegar will work on a pinch). Even balsamico, which goes so well
with tomatoes, isn't the best choice for this recipe, but it will
work (Tuscans would never think of putting balsamico tradizionale
on this salad, and they would abhor the use of balsamico industriale).
Herbs: You can add any amount of
torn basil, mint, arugula or other leafy herb (if using a fine-leaved
herb like oregano, use 1 T maximum). I'd use about ½ cup
loosely-packed herbs, prior to tearing, for this recipe. Many traditional
recipes call for basil, but this recipe tastes so good without it,
I've only suggested adding basil and other herbs as albeit delicious
variations. Please note that once again I'm suggesting using arugula
as an herb that has a special affinity for tomatoes, as I wrote
about a year ago at http://www.god-dess.com/services_recipesAugust04.html.
Other Vegetables: Some traditional
recipes for Panzanella call for cucumbers; I think they are unnecessary,
but if you want to add ½ c to 1 c thinly sliced or ½"
cubed cucumbers, go for it. Another interesting addition is roasted,
boiled or pickled beets, thinly sliced or cut in ½"
cubes; realize this is not traditional, but still delicious (and
beautiful, if you use yellow or chioggia, or the more common purple,
beets). You could even finely chop some prepared giardinera (Italian
pickled vegetables [peppers, cauliflower, carrots, maybe celery,
etc.], available jarred in groceries, or in delis). Sometimes olives
or roasted bell peppers might be added, being aware that they are
non-traditional (though again, delicious).
Fatoush: Panzanella is really quite
similar to the Lebanese bread salad, Fatoush. The differences include
using toasted pita for the bread (and the pita is kept crisp in
this salad), adding mandatory cucumber slices or cubes, possibly
bell peppers and radishes, and including garlic, mint leaves and
the spice z'atar (ground sumac); lemon juice usually replaces the
vinegar. I'm not going to include an actual recipe for Fatoush,
as I am in no position to contribute anything original to this delicious
Middle Eastern salad. Google "Fatoush" to get a recipe;
it's an easy variation on Panzanella that you can tackle if you
wish to acquire the specialty ingredients.
Applications:
This salad is meant to be served on its own as a first course. However,
there's no reason you can't use it as a side dish or a bed for grilled,
pan-fried or roasted meats, poultry or fish, or poached fish (a
great thing to do in summer, especially when the fish is chilled
prior to adding to the salad) to create an entree. Shredded or sliced
fried or poached chicken is a good addition to turn this salad into
a satisfying lunch. You can try adding other ingredients as well:
smoked meats/poultry/fish, shavings of parmesan or other hard cheese,
crumbles of feta or fresh goat cheese or even bleu cheese …
FYI, cheese never appears in traditional Panzanella, but you can
do it anyway.
NOW is the time to make Panzanella, when the tomatoes are at their
peak ripeness. Don't wait. If your bread isn't stale, use it anyway,
as long as it has a good crumb. Please, let me know how you like
this recipe by calling me at 773.508.9208
or emailing me at bret@god-dess.com.
And please let me know about any new variations you create. Enjoy
the summer bounty! Be grateful for the harvest!
|
