BRUSCHETTA - 2 WAYS
Jump to Recipe ⬇
The go-to summer snack that you cannot get enough of. It is perfect for summer parties and brunch!
Bruschetta (pronounced as Bru-Sketta) is an Italian staple appetizer. In Italy, it is known as Antipasto. The word 'bruschetta' is derived from the Roman word 'bruscare', similar to the Italian word 'abbrustolire' which loosely translates to 'toast'.
ORIGIN OF BRUSCHETTA
It is largely believed that bruschetta originated in Central Italy during the 15th century. However, some food historians believe that the dish is of Roman origin. It was supposedly used by olive farmers to taste the freshly-pressed olive oil.
Originally bruschetta was prepared by baking bland, day-old bread over hot coals. Gradually, the recipe was modified to make it more palatable. People started drizzling olive oil and rubbing whole cloves of garlic over each slice before baking the bread.
ABOUT THE RECIPE
Making bruschetta is not a big deal if you have a good quality baguette. All you have to do is rub garlic on the freshly grilled bread and then top it with pepper, salt, olive oil, minced garlic, and tomatoes. There may be variations in toppings such as basil, cheese, cured meat, beans, vegetables, mozzarella, or onion.
Here I have shared two different ways we make bruschetta at home. One is a slight variation of the authentic version as described above, while the other is entirely different with avocado and feta cheese in it. Do try this second version at home, you will not be disappointed. If you try both let me know which one you like better.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Is the topping called bruschetta or is it the bread?
The whole thing, toasted bread with toppings is called bruschetta.
What kind of bread should I use to make bruschetta?
Bruschetta is generally made with toasted baguette or rustic bread.
What should I serve with bruschetta?
Italians love their day-old bread, month-old oil, and year-old wine, so in Italy, bruschetta is often enjoyed with a glass of wine. You could do that too, though, bruschetta as an appetizer tastes great on its own. You can also serve it alongside egg salad, tuna salad, runny cheese, hummus, or grilled vegetables.
Is bruschetta served hot or cold?
Bruschetta is served straight out of the grill, hot and delicious.
How can I keep my bruschetta from getting soggy?
It the tomato juice that makes the bruschetta soggy if you keep them for long. To avoid this you can serve it immediately without letting it sit. You can also scoop out and discard the insides of the tomatoes to keep it from getting soggy.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Bruschetta should be served hot as an appetizer. You can also serve it on a bowl of pasta or with a side of mashed potatoes. Other popular options include egg salad, tuna salad, runny cheese, hummus, or grilled vegetables.
STORAGE SUGGESTIONS
Bruschetta being toasty, you should eat it fresh. If you have leftover toppings, you can store them in an airtight container and eat within 3 days to avoid flavor loss.
BRUSCHETTA - 2 WAYS
Ingredients:
- 1 French baguette
- 2 garlic cloves halved for rubbing the bread
- 1 finely chopped white onion
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 tbsp minced fresh garlic
- 4-5 diced Roma tomatoes
- 1/4 cup finely shredded parmesan cheese
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup chopped basil
- 1 avocado
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/4 cup feta cheese
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 400F.
- Slice baguette to sliced ¼" thick on the bias. Brush slices on both sides lightly with olive oil and place on a large baking sheet. Toast bread until golden turning halfway through. This should take 10-15 minutes.
- Let bread cool for 5 minutes, then rub tops of bread with halved garlic cloves.
- Mash the avocado, add lemon juice and salt. Keep aside.
- Heat oil in a skillet. Add garlic and saute until just starting to turn golden, for about 1 minute.
- In a bowl, toss together chopped tomatoes, chopped onion, basil, salt, and pepper. To this add half of the sauteed garlic and oil.
- For the first type of bruschetta, top the toasted garlic-rubbed bread with the mixture and add parmesan cheese.
- For the second type, layer the bread with mashed avocado. Top with the mixture and feta cheese.
- Serve immediately.
Notes:
- For the best results use fresh ingredients.
- If you have some leftover toppings, serve them over grilled or baked chicken for lunch or dinner.
Comments
Post a Comment