Panzanella was once a "poor man's dish", but has recently become very popular world wide. Using day old bread and whatever you have in the fridge, you can make your very own recipe, but this is our favorite.
[cooked-sharing]
Yields12 ServingsPrep Time30 minsTotal Time30 mins
Panzanella Ingredients
1Loaf of Italian Bread
2Carrots
1Large Onion
2Celery Sticks
1Cucumber
5Large Ripe Tomatoes
Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper
Italian Parsley
Basil
2Hard Boiled Eggs
15mlRed Pepper Sauce
Balsamic Vinegar Reduction
30gMayonnaise
1Head of Butter Lettuce (optional)
Homemade Mayonnaise Ingredients
1Fresh Yolk
10mlFresh Squeezed lemon Juice
250mlOlive Oil
Panzanella Directions
1
Cut bread into 3 inch pieces. Put in a large bowl and cover with water.
2
Hard boil the eggs
3
When bread is saturated, pour off any remaining water and squeeze all the water from the bread pieces, handful by handful until all the water is squeezed out and the bread is just damp
4
Place damp bread in a large bowl
5
Chop all the vegetables(carrots, celery, onion, cucumbers,tomatoes) into ½ inch pieces and add them to the bowl with the damp bread.
6
Chop the basil and parsley and add to the bowl.
7
Cut each hard boiled egg into about 8 pieces. Add to bowl.
8
Make the mayonnaise (see recipe below)
9
Add salt, black pepper, olive oil, red pepper sauce and mayonnaise to the bowl.
10
Stir until all ingredients are evenly moistened and well blended.
11
Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Then stir again, taste and adjust seasonings as needed
12
Gently separate the leaves from the butter lettuce. Wash and dry them.
13
To serve, place a scoopful of the panzanella into a butter lettuce leaf or a bowl. Drizzle with Balsamic reduction.
Homemade Mayonnaise Directions
14
In a glass bowl, whisk the egg yolk, add half the lemon juice.
15
Continue whisking vigorously
16
Add a few drops of oil, whisking continuously, until the mixture begins to thicken and become a little lighter in color.
17
At this point, continue whisking as you slowly drizzle in ½ the olive oil.
18
Add remaining lemon juice, then continue adding remaining olive oil, always whisking till all ingredients are combined.
19
NOTE: The amount of olive oil needed is determined by how thick or thin you want the mayonnaise. Panzanella calls for a thin, pourable mayonnaise.
Cut bread into 3 inch pieces. Put in a large bowl and cover with water.
2
Hard boil the eggs
3
When bread is saturated, pour off any remaining water and squeeze all the water from the bread pieces, handful by handful until all the water is squeezed out and the bread is just damp
4
Place damp bread in a large bowl
5
Chop all the vegetables(carrots, celery, onion, cucumbers,tomatoes) into ½ inch pieces and add them to the bowl with the damp bread.
6
Chop the basil and parsley and add to the bowl.
7
Cut each hard boiled egg into about 8 pieces. Add to bowl.
8
Make the mayonnaise (see recipe below)
9
Add salt, black pepper, olive oil, red pepper sauce and mayonnaise to the bowl.
10
Stir until all ingredients are evenly moistened and well blended.
11
Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Then stir again, taste and adjust seasonings as needed
12
Gently separate the leaves from the butter lettuce. Wash and dry them.
13
To serve, place a scoopful of the panzanella into a butter lettuce leaf or a bowl. Drizzle with Balsamic reduction.
Homemade Mayonnaise Directions
14
In a glass bowl, whisk the egg yolk, add half the lemon juice.
15
Continue whisking vigorously
16
Add a few drops of oil, whisking continuously, until the mixture begins to thicken and become a little lighter in color.
17
At this point, continue whisking as you slowly drizzle in ½ the olive oil.
18
Add remaining lemon juice, then continue adding remaining olive oil, always whisking till all ingredients are combined.
19
NOTE: The amount of olive oil needed is determined by how thick or thin you want the mayonnaise. Panzanella calls for a thin, pourable mayonnaise.
