Deconstructed Pizza Skewers With Roasted Tomato Fried Mozzarella And Basil Aioli Recipes

CAPRESE APPETIZER

Steps:

• Toss tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, olive oil, basil, salt, and pepper together in a bowl until well coated. Skewer one tomato and one piece of mozzarella cheese on each toothpick.

DECONSTRUCTED CAPRESE

Steps:

• 1. Thread a cherry tomato onto a skewer followed by a piece of basil, a mozzarella ball, and a bread cube. Repeat so that the skewer has two of every item. Add a third cherry tomato on the end of the skewer. Snap the pointed end off the skewer and discard. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
• 2. Pack the skewers in a container or wrap them gently in aluminum foil.

KIDS CAN MAKE: PIZZA SKEWERS

Steps:

• Soak eight 12-inch wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes. Prepare a grill for medium heat. Cut a 12-inch-square piece of aluminum foil.
• Stir together the oil, Italian seasoning and 1 teaspoon salt in a large bowl.
• Dust a work surface with flour. Roll the dough into a rectangle about 11 by 6 by 1/4 inches. Using a pizza wheel or a knife, cut the dough into 1-inch strips, then into 1-inch squares. Add the dough squares, tomatoes and sausage to the seasoned oil, and toss gently to coat.
• Working quickly to keep the dough from getting warm, thread the skewers, alternating sausage pieces (skewer them through the casings), tomatoes and dough squares (skewer them through opposite sides of each square, keeping them as flat as possible so they cook through). Leave 1/2 inch of the skewer at both ends empty. Each skewer should have 4 pieces each of sausage and dough and about 3 tomatoes.
• Grill the skewers, covered, until the tomatoes have dark grill lines and the dough squares have started to puff, 2 to 3 minutes. Put the prepared foil square on the grill, and transfer the skewers onto the foil cooked-side up, so that they are almost touching. Top with the mozzarella, and grill, covered, until the tomatoes are soft, the dough squares have doubled in size and the mozzarella has melted, 3 minutes more.
• Divide the skewers among 4 plates. Tear the basil leaves over the tops. Serve with the marinara sauce, for dipping, and pass the Parmesan and red pepper flakes.

ANTIPASTI SKEWERS

Steps:

• Toss the mozzarella, olive oil, oregano and salt together in a small bowl.
• Thread six 8-inch skewers as follows: mozzarella, yellow pepper, cherry tomato, green olive, piquillo pepper, Kalamata olive, artichoke heart, salami, basil. Serve on a platter.

DECONSTRUCTED PIZZA SKEWERS WITH ROASTED TOMATO, FRIED MOZZARELLA AND BASIL AIOLI

Steps:

• For the aioli, blend mayonnaise, basil, arugula, lemon juice, garlic, Parmesan, salt, and pepper in a food processor until completely smooth.
• In a frying pan, warm a teaspoon of olive oil on medium heat.
• Add the tomatoes and stir to lightly cook and slightly blister their skins. Remove and cool.
• In a separate bowl, beat the egg. Dredge the mozzarella in the egg and then in breadcrumbs. Fill a Dutch oven halfway with olive oil, heat until 400 to 450 degrees F, and fry the mozzarella balls approximately 30 seconds each or until golden brown on all sides. Set aside on a paper towel to cool.
• Once the mozzarella is at room temperature, use a toothpick or skewer and poke through one tomato then one mozzarella ball, dotting the tops with the basil aioli. Repeat.