I love Italian
food. And why is that???? well...it is the fact that simple ingredients are
used to create beautiful and colourful dishes that are super delicious. And one
such dish is the Bruschetta!
Now
firstly.....how do you pronounce this, by the way?
Broo-shett-ah?
Broo-skeett-ah? Broos-chetta?
Well it's actually
Broo-skett-ah.
Bruschetta is an
antipasto (starter dish) from Italy consisting of grilled bread rubbed with
garlic and topped with olive oil and salt. Variations may include toppings of
tomato, vegetables, beans, cured meat, or cheese. It is usually served as a
snack or appetiser.
The history of the bruschetta dates back to the Etruscan age: while occupying
the land between Rome and Tuscany, they began dressing the local, salt-less
bread (best when it’s a day old and a little bit stale) and baking slices in
ovens.
Before placing it in the oven, tradition calls for brushing it with a clove of
garlic and drizzling a bit of olive oil over each slice. Farmers believe that
the oil should be very young and recently pressed and that bruschetta is best
accompanied by a glass of wine.
As an old Italian proverb goes, “Day-old bread, month-old oil, and year-old
wine”.
I simply love
bruschetta because.....can you really think of anything fresher and more
delicious than a juicy, ripe tomato and some fresh basil? There is
nothing like it in this world. Someone once told me that bruschetta is
basically Italy’s answer to salsa—and honestly, I can see why. It’s the same
idea of piling fresh, juicy tomatoes and herbs onto bread instead of chips. The
first time I heard that comparison, I couldn’t stop laughing… because suddenly
bruschetta felt less like a fancy appetizer and more like salsa’s stylish
European cousin.
Here's a simple
and basic recipe:
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons fresh chopped basil
2 cups cherry
tomatoes
1 french baguette
loaf
2-3 cloves of
garlic
 |
Cut the tomatoes
in halves or thirds. If you don't have cherry tomatoes, regular ones will be
just fine; you'll need to cut or chop it up to your desired sizes.
Roll the basil to
chop into fine strips. Combine the tomatoes, and basil together and gently stir
to mix. Season to taste with salt and pepper and stir again to combine.
Refrigerate for at least an hour to allow the flavours to mingle and get
delicious.
Slice the baguette
into desired slice size. Preheat the oven at 200°C. Lay the slices down on the
baking tray and cover with butter or olive oil. Bake for 8-10 minutes until
golden brown.
Once toasted
gently rub the fresh cloves of garlic on top of the baguette.
Then serve with
the bruschetta on top of the baguette.
Drizzle with
balsamic vinegar and a little bit of extra virgin olive oil.... for that extra
burst of flavours.
Together all these
flavours will explode with a juicy, sweet, savoury taste.
The perfect
appetiser to serve up!
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