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Simple Pleasures: The Best Caprese Salad
An intensely flavorful and slightly more rock n roll recipe for Insalata Caprese - Italian tomato and mozzarella salad
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 1
Ingredients
- 200 grams ripe tomatoes
- 150 grams fresh, quality mozzarella cheese
- 1 handful basil leaves
- 1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil the best you can afford
- 1 pinch coarse sea salt
- 1 sprinkle sugar
- freshly cracked black pepper to taste
Instructions
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Thirty minutes prior to doing anything else, remove the cheese from the fridge
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Wash the tomatoes and cut them whichever way you like, I like chunks. Whatever you do, keep them as uniform as possible.
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Drain the mozzarella if it comes in brine, then either slice or tear it into pieces about as large as your tomatoes
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Cut the basil leaves into thin strips (chiffonade)
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Mix the tomato chunks and the mozzarella pieces somewhat carefully in a bowl, then scatter over the basil and mix again.
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Sprinkle the mixture with salt and sugar, then pour over the oil and a few grinds of black pepper to taste
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Leave to stand on the kitchen counter for as little as five minutes or as much as 30 to allow the flavors to mend and blend together
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Serve as a light lunch or an appetizer, preferably with a nice crusty piece of bread that might as well be used for wiping up the juices forming at the bottom of the bowl.
Recipe Notes
Yes, I added a pinch of sugar to the original recipe. This is not an old Italian trick, it's an old Danish trick. A minuscule amount sugar accents the sweetness of the tomatoes, elevating the flavors of the dish. Try it!