Panzanella

By danyell923

Recipes & Menus | recipes

Panzanella
This bread-and-tomato salad is the ideal way to use up stale bread and overly ripe tomatoes. The secret is to marinate the bread in a tart tomato dressing, layering the flavor. River Café chef Sian Wyn Owen recommends that you taste the vinaigrette first: “If you want to add more tomato juice, then blitz more tomatoes.” Crustier bread like ciabatta adds structure to the salad, while Pullman-style loaves lend a softer texture.

6–8 servings

Recipe by The River Café Classic Italian Cookbook by Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers (Michael Joseph 2009). Copyright © Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers 2009.">The River Café Classic Italian Cookbook by Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers (Michael Joseph 2009). Copyright © Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers 2009.

Photograph by David Loftus

August 2012

Ingredients

• 2 pounds tomatoes
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil plus more for drizzling
• 3 tablespoons (or more) red wine vinegar
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 loaf stale bread (such as country, Pullman, or ciabatta), cut into 1"-thick slices
• 1 red bell pepper (optional)
• 1 yellow bell pepper (optional)
• 2 fresh chiles (such as Fresno or red jalapeño; optional)
• 1/2 cup black olives (such as Kalamata or oil-cured), pitted (optional)
• 1/4 cup salt-packed capers, soaked, rinsed, patted dry, coarsely chopped (optional)
• 4 anchovy fillets packed in salt, soaked, rinsed, patted dry, finely chopped (optional)
• 1 large bunch basil, leaves trimmed, stems discarded

Details

Servings 6
Adapted from bonappetit.com

Preparation

Step 1

Preparation

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Using the tip of a paring knife, make two 1" cuts on the bottom of each tomato, forming an X. Add tomatoes to water and cook just until skin begins to peel back at each X, 30–40 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, transfer tomatoes to a large bowl of ice water; let cool. Peel and core tomatoes; place in another large bowl. (Alternatively, use a vegetable peeler with a serrated blade to peel tomatoes.) Using your hands, crush tomatoes, breaking up any large pieces and releasing juices.

Stir in 1/2 cup oil, 3 Tbsp. vinegar, and garlic. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and more vinegar, if desired.

Add bread to tomato mixture in bowl. Toss until bread is well coated and starts to absorb liquid. Let sit for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, char bell peppers and chiles, if using, directly over a gas flame or in the broiler until blackened all over. Transfer to a resealable plastic bag. Close bag and let sit for 15 minutes. Remove peppers and chiles; peel, core, seed, and cut into 1/4" strips.

Add peppers, chiles, olives, capers, and anchovies, if using, to bread mixture. Massage with your hands until all ingredients are thoroughly combined and bread is broken down (it will break down differently depending on what kind is used; ciabatta tends to stay more intact than Pullman bread). Add basil and season with salt and pepper.

Cover salad and let stand at room temperature for 1 hour. Drizzle with oil just before serving.

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