Fig panzanella
Prep time 15 mins
Cook 5 mins
Serves 4
“When it’s fig season, I like to celebrate with this spin on the classic panzanella salad,” says chef Tom Walton. “It’s a meal on its own, or serve it alongside grilled meats or some seafood.”
3 thick slices of 2-day old sourdough bread
120ml olive oil
100g baby beans, trimmed
2 large handfuls basil, picked
100g wild rocket
1 cup roasted walnuts, crushed
8 ripe figs, torn in half
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp vincotto (see note)
2 buffalo mozzarella,
coarsely torn
4 slices prosciutto
Preheat the oven to 220°C. Remove the crusts from the bread and tear into small croutons. Toss with 2 tbsp of the olive oil, season with sea salt and ground pepper and bake until golden (about 4-5 minutes). Set aside.
Bring a pot of water to the boil, add a pinch of salt and blanch the baby beans for 2 minutes. Refresh beans in iced water, drain well and then add to a bowl with the basil, rocket, walnuts and figs.
When ready to serve, add the croutons to the salad, dress with the vinegar, half the vincotto, remaining olive oil and gently toss.
Pile onto a platter, add mozzarella and drape with the prosciutto. Serve with an extra drizzle of olive oil, remaining vincotto and black pepper.
INGREDIENTS
METHOD
NOTE Vincotto is a syrup made from grape must, and is available from select grocers.
Recipe Tom Walton; Photography Lisa Featherby
