Bruschetta or ‘brus-ketta’ is an antipasto from Italy. Its origins date back to the 15th century in Tuscany. The toasted bread can be eaten in a variety of ways and can be topped with tomatoes, peppers, cured meats, cheese, and smoked salmon. The bread you choose can be entirely up to your taste. Sour dough or freshly baked baguette work absolutely fine. Pop into your local bakery and discover the wide array of breads they have on offer. The bread is sliced about 1cm thick and is toasted on a char-grilled barbecue ( a griddle pan or oven also work just fine). You want to achieve a crispy toasted texture that will pack a crunch when you sink your teeth into it. As for the toppings, you can be as creative as you like. The driving force of this dish is using fresh ingredients and good quality olive oil. My favourite is with ripe pomodorino (cherry) tomatoes and fresh basil. You will be amazed at how simple this is to make.
READY TO COOK?
- Slice your aubergines and season with a pinch of sea salt, black pepper and olive oil.
- Place them on a sizzling griddle pan and cook for about 2 minutes on each side.
- Once beautifully charred, pop them into a medium sized bowl. Add 3 table spoons of extra virgin olive oil, 1 table spoon of chopped basil, 1 small clove of crushed garlic clove and season with sea salt and black pepper. Mix the aubergines with your hands, then put aside.
- Chop your tomatoes roughly and place them in a medium sized bowl and add 2 table spoons of extra virgin olive oil. Add 2 table spoons of chopped up basil, 1 small clove of crushed garlic, and season with sea salt and black pepper. Mix the tomatoes with a spoon, then put aside.
- On the same griddle pan, barbecue the bread until nicely toasted on both sides, serve straight away.
INGREDIENTS
- 400g pomodorino tomatoes (or any tomatoes you desire)
- 1 aubergine – sliced into 1cm thick pieces
- 1 handfull of basil leaves – roughly chopped
- 1 large baguette (or any fresh bread you desire)
- extra virgin olive oil (the best you can get)
- 2 cloves of garlic – crushed
- sea salt and black pepper