Crostini Napoletana Food

POLENTA CROSTINI

Steps:

• In a heavy saucepan, bring the water to a boil over high heat. Add 2 teaspoons salt and the nutmeg and reduce the heat to the medium. Add the polenta gradually, whisking constantly. Continue to whisk for 5 minutes as the mixture bubbles. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture begins to come away from the sides of the pan, about 10 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese, 1 teaspoon thyme and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and stir to combine thoroughly.
• Invert a rimmed baking sheet on a countertop and cover the surface with parchment paper. Spread the polenta out with a spatula into a smooth, even layer. Cover the polenta with another sheet of parchment paper. Place another baking sheet, right side up, on top of the parchment. With 2 hands, press down evenly on the top baking sheet until the polenta is 1/4 inch thick. The idea is to sandwich the polenta between 2 flat surfaces. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Invert the baking sheets together. Remove the top baking sheet and the top layer of parchment paper. The smoother side of the polenta will be facing up. Cut the polenta into triangle about 2 inches long by 1 1/2 inches wide. Transfer the triangles to 1 or more baking sheets, spacing them 1/2-inch apart. Sprinkle about 1/2 cup of the remaining Parmesan cheese and the remaining thyme on top of triangles.
• Bake the crostini until hot throughout and starting to brown, about 10 to 12 minutes. Turn the oven to broil and broil the crostini about 8 inches from the heat source until crispy and golden brown on top, about 3 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
• Calories: 21; Total Fat 0.5 grams; Saturated Fat: 0 grams; Protein: 1 grams; Total carbohydrates: 3 grams; Sugar: 0 grams Fiber: 0 grams; Cholesterol: 1 milligrams; Sodium: 123 milligrams

SIMPLE CROSTINI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange baguette slices on two large rimmed baking sheets; brush both sides with oil, and season with salt and pepper.
• Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until golden, 15 to 20 minutes (if undersides are not browning, turn crostini over once during baking). Let cool on baking sheets. Top crostini with desired toppings, and serve.

CROSTINI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Brush the bread on both sides with the olive oil and season lightly with salt and pepper. Arrange on a baking sheet and bake until crusty and brown, about 10 to 12 minutes. Turn once about halfway through cooking, and dust with Parmesan, if using. Serve hot, warm, or room temperature.

CROSTINI NAPOLETANI

Steps:

• Preheat the broiler. Place the bread slices on a baking sheet and toast until light golden brown on both sides. While still hot, rub each slice with a garlic clove to impart a delicate flavor.
• In a bowl, mix the ricotta, black pepper, and oregano and smear casually over each bread slice. Top each with an anchovy fillet and return to the cookie sheet. Broil until cheese just oozes, about a minute. Arrange on a serving platter, drizzle with olive oil and serve.
• Anchovies
• Whenever anchovies are called for in my recipes, the quantity is given as a number of fillets - preferably taken from fresh anchovies you have marinated yourself (see Alici Marinati ), which yield two fillets each. If prepackaged anchovies must be used, however, be aware that they come in one acceptable - and one despicable - form. Salt-packed anchovies that come in a 1- or 2-kilo can are available in Italian delis and are sold whole. Order them by the quarter-pound, take them home, soak them in either water or milk, then remove the fillets. Least desirable are the tiny cans of salty prefilleted anchovies packed in oil. This is not to say all brands of canned fillets are not very good, but most aren't, so use one of the other types if you can.

CROSTINI NAPOLETANA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Arrange the sliced bread on a baking sheet. Brush with olive oil. Use more oil if needed (will depend on the quality of your brush).
• Peel the tomatoes: score the bottom of each with an "X". Dunk in boiling water for 1 minute, then dunk in ice water for 1 minute. The peel should pull right off starting at the "X". If not, repeat the dunking process.
• Slice each tomato in half and scoop out the seeds.
• Slice the flesh of each tomato into 8 slices.
• Cut the mozzarella into sticks about 1/2 inch by 1/2 inch by 3 inches (or whatever length will lay diagonally across your bread).
• Layer an anchovy fillet, cheese stick, and tomato slice (in that order, bottom to top) in each slice of bread.
• Bake for 10 minutes. Serve warm.