‘Crostino’ differs from bruschetta mainly because the bread is heated up or shallow-fried in olive oil, then topped with your favourite ingredients. I’ve called this recipe ‘Crostino di Fine Estate’ as Fine Estate means ‘end of summer’ in Italian. The tomatoes are now at their ripest point and therefore perfect for caramelising them with garlic and olive oil in a pan.
Crostino di Fine Estate Recipe
Ingredients (2 crostini): 2 slices of Italian-style bread (pane di campagna or ‘casareccio’), 2 super-ripe San Marzano or Roma fresh tomatoes, 1 medium mozzarella (250g or 8.8 oz), 4 slices of prosciutto fresh basil to taste, 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 1 clove of garlic, salt to taste.
Method: Bruise garlic. Heat up olive oil in a fry-pan, add garlic, cut tomatoes into halves and fry them in the pan at medium to high temperature with 3 basil leaves. When the tomatoes are caramelised on both sides, add salt, leave another minute and transfer tomatoes onto a plate or bowl. Put 2 slices of bread in the same pan and fry bread on both sides, letting it absorb the olive oil left in the pan. Take out bread slices and put them onto a serving plate. Cut mozzarella into half an inch thick slices and fry mozzarella in the same fry-pan for about half a minute per side until almost melted. Compose the crostini, layering bread, mozzarella, tomatoes, extra fresh basil and 2 slices of prosciutto for each crostino. Buon pranzo!
You can vary the ingredients: Crostino di Fine Estate can have other combination of ingredients, such as fresh figs on a soft creamy cheese; or pecorino cheese and proscuitto; or robiola cheese with peach slices. The choice is up to you!
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