ROME – Panzanella originated as a way of using up stale bread, traditionally soaked in water, squeezed dry and dressed with tomatoes, cucumber, onion, basil, olive oil and vinegar. Today, however, a new tradition is emerging alongside the classic Tuscan recipe: panzanella made with toasted, crispy bread, a variation that is becoming increasingly popular in home kitchens and restaurants.
This is the version served by Paolo Lavezzini, executive chef at the Four Seasons Hotel Firenze, where he oversees Il Palagio. He also serves it at Al Fresco, the hotel’s garden trattoria, where this year he has introduced a distinctly Tuscan menu.
“Until about 10 years ago, many of these dishes were relatively unknown outside Italy. Today, they’ve become very popular, and international guests arriving in Florence want to try them,” Lavezzini explains.
Ingredients
Serves 3–4
For the crispy bread
300g stale Tuscan bread
50g Tuscan PGI extra virgin olive oil
Maldon sea salt, to taste
For the marinated tomatoes
300g beefsteak tomatoes
200g red datterini tomatoes
100g yellow datterini tomatoes
30g red wine vinegar
50g extra virgin olive oil
Salt, to taste
For the sweet-and-sour onions
150g Certaldo red onions
100g red wine vinegar
100g water
30g sugar
3g salt
To finish
1 large cucumber
Approximately 30g Pantelleria capers
A few fresh basil leaves
A few drops of aged vinegar
For the basil oil
100g fresh basil
200g extra virgin olive oil
Method
Cut the stale bread into roughly 1cm cubes, toss with olive oil and salt, and spread out on a baking tray. Dry in the oven at 140°C (285°F) until completely crisp, then leave to cool.
“Many restaurants now make panzanella with crispy bread rather than soaked bread,” the chef explains. “It’s a more contemporary version, particularly in terms of texture. I leave the tomatoes to marinate for about half an hour with salt, olive oil and vinegar, allowing them to absorb the flavours and release their juices. The onion can be marinated in vinegar, then the cucumber is added. I also use caper powder to add a little extra saltiness, and the bread goes in right at the end so it stays crisp. That crunch is particularly enjoyable in summer.”
Cut the tomatoes into pieces and dress with salt, olive oil and vinegar. Leave to marinate for approximately 30 minutes, allowing them to absorb the flavours and release some of their juices.
Slice the onion very thinly. Bring the water, vinegar, sugar and salt to the boil, then pour the hot liquid over the onion. Leave to pickle for at least two hours, then drain before using.
Wash the cucumber and cut it into thin slices or small pieces.
Rinse approximately 30g of capers thoroughly to remove the salt. Leave them whole or chop them roughly.
Alternatively, to reproduce the chef’s original version, make caper powder: take 100g of rinsed Pantelleria capers, dry them at 70°C (160°F) for approximately 10 hours, then blend into a fine powder.
To make the basil oil, blend the basil with the olive oil, heating the mixture to approximately 65°C (150°F), then strain. For a simpler homemade version, blend the basil and olive oil without heating them, then strain.
Arrange the marinated tomatoes in the centre of each plate. Add the sweet-and-sour red onion, cucumber and crispy bread cubes. Scatter the rinsed capers over the top.
Finish with a few drops of basil oil, a few small fresh basil leaves and a few drops of aged vinegar.
The translation of this article was reviewed by a Language Service Provider