Did you know the Caprese salad was originally made to resemble the colors of the Italian flag: red, white, and green?
Insalata caprese (literally, the salad from Capri) is the perfect summertime dish for cooks in a hurry. In fact, slicing the delicate mozzarella is the hardest part.
I love the simplicity and refreshing taste of this simple salad. Serve it as an appetiser, as a side, or as a mid-afternoon snack.
For this who want the added richness (and sweetness) of a balsamic glaze, feel free to to make a balsamic reduction to drizzle on top as a final garnish. Now, you’ll notice that on the moist/wet mozzarella, the balsamic reduction starts to seep and run (a watercolor effect )– but on the basil leaves and platter, it remains more of a semi-solid glaze. So if you’re artistic, you can create designs on the sides of your platter to really up the presentation factor.
INGREDIENTS:
- A pack of maxi mozzarella (250g) or two packs of mozzarella (125g each)
- A bunch of fresh basil
- Two round tomatoes
- Extra virgin oil, to drizzle
- Balsamic reduction (optional), to drizzle
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
METHOD:
- Slice mozzarella into 1/4 inch slices. Repeat for the tomatoes. Separate basil leaves from their stems.
- Layer alternating slices of tomatoes and mozzarella, adding a basil leaf between each, on a large, shallow platter. Grind fresh salt and black pepper all over and drizzle with a high quality extra virgin olive oil. For those who like balsamic vinegar, feel free to garnish with a balsamic glaze.
