Ligurian Bread Salad
Recipe from John Eisenhart
Pazzo Ristorante
6 to 8 thin slices ciabatta
About 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt to taste
6 medium to large porcini mushrooms, wiped of sand and chopped into bite-sized chunks
1 small shallot, thinly sliced
1/2 lemon, juiced
8 small to medium radishes, diced
3/4 cup fresh herbs, such as fennel fronds, chervil, chive flowers and/or basil, washed, torn apart and loosely packed
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Ligurian Bread Salad
Recipe from John Eisenhart
Pazzo Ristorante
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place the ciabatta slices on a cookie sheet, drizzle them with olive oil (approximately 1/8 to 1/4 cup) and sprinkle with salt. Place sheet in oven until slices are lightly toasted but not brittle, approximately 6 to 8 minutes. Remove ciabatta slices from sheet and set aside to cool.
Add 1/4 cup olive oil to a wide saute pan on medium-high heat. When the oil begins to smoke, add the porcini in one layer. Adjust the heat to medium and saute, turning, until evenly brown, approximately 3 to 5 minutes. (If you are using shiitake and portobello mushrooms, you may need to add additional olive oil to prevent sticking; cooking time may be as long as 8 to 10 minutes.)
Place the browned porcini in a large salad bowl. Add the shallot. Cover with plastic wrap and allow mushrooms to cool to lukewarm.
When ready to serve, crumble the ciabatta into bite-sized pieces into the bowl. Add the lemon juice, radishes and herbs. Season to taste with salt, pepper and up to 1/4 cup additional olive oil if desired. Toss and serve.
Salads