Bruschetta, these days, seems to mean anything whacked on top of toasted bread. But like most things, the classics are the best. It's such a simple but perfect combination of fresh tomatoes, a touch of onion and basil that have been tossed lightly with good olive oil (and properly seasoned!) then served on garlic rubbed toasted bread. It's the perfect example of letting the ingredients speak for themselves.
To make 2:
6 small ripe tomatoes - get the best, fresh from the garden and still warm from the sun is perfection
1/8 of a small red onion, diced very finely (you just want to get a hint of it's warmth)
6 basil leaves, roughly torn at the last minute
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (use your favourite)
freshly ground salt and pepper
2 slices of ciabatta, rubbed with a little oil and toasted (I find that the sandwich grills make toasting a breeze and leave you with those lovely grill marks - I use the Sunbeam Cafe Grill)
1 clove garlic
Toast the bread. When cooked and still hot, rub the garlic clove over the bread - the toasted bread is rough and it works like a rasp, leaving the wonderful flavour of garlic on the toast.
Dice the tomatoes roughly, not too finely, you want them to have body so you can taste them.
Add the diced onion and stir, season with the salt and pepper, then drizzle in some good olive oil. Taste for seasoning. Rip the basil leaves and add, stir once more.
Scoop the filling onto the bread slices and serve.
I have added one extra ingredient just before serving - I was lucky enough to get hold of some 30 year old Balsamic Vinegar in Florence, it is super thick with a taste that is incredible and just a half a teaspoon drizzled over each turns this into a sublime treat.
I absolutely love how you specifically mention extra-virgin olive oil as the ingredient rather than leaving it at just any olive oil.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite place to buy extra-virgin olive oil is [DO NOT SPAM MY BLOG WITH YOUR COMPANY] because they actually produce the oil in Israel, but sell the products in the US.