Light, fresh and full of summer flavour, Panzanella is a Tuscan salad that relies on ripe tomatoes as the star. Traditionally a tasty way to use up stale bread, Panzanella’s beauty is in simplicity. Using the freshest ingredients is key and the ingredients can be tweaked to suit preference. Here, white anchovy fillets add a vinegary tang that is countered by a ball of creamy burrata and fresh basil. Crunch comes from ciabatta croutons, toasted in olive oil with garlic, rosemary and sea salt.
To pair, the fresh acidity and yellow fruit notes in Darling Cellars’ Hannuwa Amphora Chenin Blanc complement the robust flavour of beefsteak tomatoes and grassy olive oil. Fermented in clay amphoras – an ancient method that yields a well-rounded, delicate profile to the wine – the Chenin Blanc lends itself to lazy summer days spent outdoors with fresh West Coast oysters, braaied seafood and the bright flavours of Panzanella.
Unfiltered and unrefined, Darling Cellars’ Hannuwa Amphora Chenin Blanc is as true to nature as wine can be.
Prep time: 15 mins /Cook time: 15 mins /Serves: 4-6
For the panzanella:
- 400g heirloom tomatoes, washed and quartered
- 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
- 1 clove of garlic, grated
- 4 slices of stale ciabatta
- Olive oil
- 30ml white wine vinegar
- 2 sprigs of fresh basil, leaves stripped from woody stalks
- Coarse ground sea salt and black pepper
- 8-12 white anchovy fillets
- 2 tablespoons baby capers, drained
- 1 large ball of burrata or buffalo mozzarella
For the croutons, roughly tear the sourdough bread into bite-sized pieces and place in a bowl. Drizzle over a little olive oil and roughly tear over the rosemary. Add in the crushed garlic, season the bread with sea salt and scatter over a lined baking sheet. Toast the sourdough croutons on the lower rack for 10-15 minutes or until lightly golden.
To assemble the Panzanella, combine the quartered tomatoes with the white wine vinegar, basil leaves and capers. Drizzle over about 2 tablespoons of olive oil and season the salad with salt and pepper. Just before serving, stir through the sourdough croutons. Plate the salad on a platter, nestling the burrata amongst the tomatoes. Drape the anchovy fillets over the salad and if desired, sprinkle a few extra basil leaves over the top.
Serve the Panzanella with a few glasses of chilled Hannuwa Amphora Chenin Blanc.
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