Panzanella Croutons Food

PANZANELLA

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large saute pan. Add the bread and salt; cook over low to medium heat, tossing frequently, for 10 minutes, or until nicely browned. Add more oil as needed.
• For the vinaigrette, whisk all the ingredients together.
• In a large bowl, mix the tomatoes, cucumber, red pepper, yellow pepper, red onion, basil, and capers. Add the bread cubes and toss with the vinaigrette. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Serve, or allow the salad to sit for about half an hour for the flavors to blend.

SOUTHERN PANZANELLA

Steps:

• For the cornbread croutons: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Brush a baking sheet with 2 tablespoons of the melted butter. Gently arrange the Skillet Cornbread cubes on the buttered baking sheet and drizzle with the remaining melted butter. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Do not toss the cornbread or it will crumble. Bake, gently turning the cubes with tongs halfway through, until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Allow the cornbread croutons to cool completely.
• For the dressing: Add the olive oil, vinegar, pepper, honey, salt and garlic to a mason jar and shake.
• For the salad: In a large bowl, combine the collards, black-eyed peas, red peppers, tomatoes, toasted cornbread croutons and dressing and toss gently. Add the mozzarella pearls to the bowl (setting aside a handful for garnishing) and toss them in with the rest of the salad.
• Arrange the salad on a platter. Using tongs, bring some of the croutons to the top of the salad to garnish. Arrange the remaining mozzarella pearls around the salad and garnish with the basil leaves.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Stir together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl until combined.
• Stir together the buttermilk, whole milk and egg in a bowl or measuring cup with a fork. Add the baking soda and stir again, making sure it is evenly dissolved. Pour the milk mixture into the dry ingredients. Stir with a fork until combined. Slowly add 1/4 cup of the melted shortening to the batter, stirring until just combined.
• Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons shortening over medium heat in a cast-iron skillet. Pour the batter into the hot skillet--it should sizzle. Spread with a spatula to even out the surface. Cook on stovetop for 1 minute. Transfer to the oven and bake until the top is golden brown and the edges are crispy, 20 to 25 minutes.

CHEF JOHN'S PANZANELLA

Steps:

• Pour bread into a large skillet and drizzle with 1/4 cup olive oil, working in batches if necessary. Cook and stir bread over medium heat, adding more oil as needed, until bread cubes are golden and crispy on the outside, 7 to 12 minutes.
• Sprinkle Parmigiano-Reggiano over the top of the bread cubes; cook and stir until cheese is melted onto bread, and bread is crispy on the outside but still chewy on the inside, 3 to 4 minutes more. Cool completely.
• Combine tomatoes, red wine vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, garlic, sugar, salt, and black pepper together in a bowl until well-mixed. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature until flavors combine, about 20 minutes.
• Toss basil into tomato mixture; add bread cubes and stir. Let salad sit at room temperature 3 to 4 minutes; if the liquid is completely absorbed, add more vinegar and extra virgin olive oil to taste. Season with salt and black pepper.

PANZANELLA

Steps:

• For the croutons: Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F.
• Cut the bread into 1-inch cubes and arrange on a baking sheet. Drizzle the cubes with the olive oil and toss to coat. Put the pan in the oven to slightly crisp ("stale") the bread without toasting it, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove and allow to cool.
• For the dressing: In a small jar, shake together the olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper.
• For the salad: In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, cucumbers, onions and bread cubes. Pour the dressing over the salad ingredients, tossing gently. Add the sliced basil and Parmesan shavings and toss again. Sprinkle with more salt and pepper and serve garnished with whole basil leaves.