Charred Caprese Salad Recipes

CAPRESE ANTIPASTO

Steps:

• To roast peppers, set them directly in the flames of a stovetop gas burner turned to high, or over hot coals if you happen to be grilling. (You could also roast under the broiler, with peppers as close to heat source as possible.) Turn peppers with tongs until skins are blackened and blistered all over, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove to a plate and let cool. To peel, cut peppers lengthwise. Scrape seeds and veins away with your knife, then turn peppers over and scrape away charred skin. Slice peeled peppers into 1/2-inch ribbons and place in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper, then add 1 tablespoon olive oil and toss. (Peppers may be roasted up to a day ahead.)
• Cut mozzarella into 1/4-inch slices. Cut tomatoes into 1/2-inch slices and halve cherry tomatoes.
• Arrange mozzarella slices in the center of a large platter. Surround with tomatoes and sprinkle lightly with salt. Add roasted pepper strips, caperberries and olives. Drape prosciutto around the platter. Garnish with basil leaves. Drizzle generously with olive oil and serve.

CAPRESE SALAD

Steps:

• Place Dressing ingredients in a jar and shake very well. Adjust to taste.
• Place tomatoes, bocconcini and most of the basil in a bowl. Drizzle over dressing, toss gently.
• Transfer to shallow serving bowl. Just before serving, drizzle with balsamic glaze and sprinkle with remaining basil.
• Serve immediately.

EGGPLANT AND TOMATO CAPRESE SALAD

Steps:

• Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Or, prepare a charcoal grill with hot coals or set a gas grill to medium-high heat.
• Brush the eggplant slices generously with olive oil on both sides, sprinkle with salt and pepper and grill until charred on the outside and soft on the inside, 3 to 5 minutes on each side. Set aside and allow to cool slightly.
• On a large rectangular platter, layer the tomatoes, mozzarella, eggplant and basil in diagonal rows. Drizzle generously with vinegar and olive oil and sprinkle with coarse sea salt. Serve at room temperature.

CHARRED CAPRESE SANDWICH

Steps:

• Mix mayonnaise, mustard, and lemon juice in a small bowl; season with salt.
• Toss shallot, garlic, and vinegar in another small bowl; season with salt. Let sit 10 minutes. Drain, reserving shallots and vinegar separately in small bowls.
• Prepare a grill for medium-high heat. Brush cut sides of bread with 2 Tbsp. oil total and grill until lightly charred, about 2 minutes per side. (Or broil bread halves, cut side up, until lightly charred, about 2 minutes.) Season with salt; let cool.
• Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high (you can do this directly on the grill grates or on a burner). Toss tomatoes with remaining 2 Tbsp. oil and cook, shaking pan often, until tomatoes are blistered and lightly charred, about 3 minutes. Add tomatoes to bowl with reserved vinegar; season with salt and pepper. Let cool slightly, then add basil, parsley, and lemon zest and toss gently to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
• Spread both halves of baguette with mayonnaise mixture. Top with mozzarella, tomato salad, and shallots, and sprinkle with red pepper flakes.
• Mayonnaise can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and chill.

THE BEST CAPRESE SALAD

Steps:

• Arrange tomato slices, mozzarella slices, and basil leaves on a serving plate, alternating between them. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

CHARRED CAPRESE SALAD

Steps:

• Preheat the grill to high.
• Combine the dried Italian seasoning, granulated garlic, salt and pepper on a plate. Brush the entire log of mozzarella with about a tablespoon of balsamic glaze, then roll in the dry spices. Place the cheese in the freezer to set up, 20 to 30 minutes.
• Oil the grill grates, then place the log of mozzarella on the grill to char quickly, about 2 minutes. Roll a quarter-turn and repeat until all sides are charred but not gooey, 2 minutes per side. Let it cool for a minute, then slice into 1/2-inch slices.
• Arrange the sliced tomatoes on a platter. Top the tomatoes with the sliced charred mozzarella, torn fresh basil, a drizzle of balsamic glaze, a sprinkle of sea salt and a drizzle of olive oil.

CAPRESE CORN SALAD RECIPE

Steps:

• 1 Prepare your grill for high, direct heat. Place the corn cobs still in their husks directly on the grill. Cook for 15 minutes or so, turning every few minutes, so that the husks get completely charred. The corn will steam in the husks. There is no need to soak the corn in water first if the corn is fresh. If you want some char on the corn itself, remove a few of the outer corn husks first, so there is less of a protective layer around the corn. Once the husks are completely charred, remove from the grill and let cool for a few minutes. Then remove the husks and silk. To remove the corn from the cob, stand the shucked cob upright in shallow baking pan or rimmed dish. Hold the cob steady in one hand, and with the other hand use a sharp knife to make downward strokes on the cob, separating the kernels from the cob. Alternatively, if you have frozen corn kernels, you can use them for this salad (4 cups). Just heat a large cast iron pan on medium high to high heat. Put a layer of frozen corn directly on the pan, do not defrost first. Once the corn has browned on one side, stir and let the corn brown some more. Then remove to cool. 2 In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, salt, and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Adding sugar will depend on how sweet your corn or tomatoes are, so you may want to withhold sugar until the end and add to taste. 3 In a large bowl, toss together the corn, tomatoes, scallions, Mozzarella, and the dressing. Adjust seasonings to taste. Let sit for 10 minutes. 4 Right before serving, stir in the freshly sliced basil.