Insalata caprese — tomato, mozzarella and basil

Name: Insalata caprese — tomato, mozzarella and basil
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 350 g Tomatoes, vine or round (3 good ripe tomatoes, vine or beefsteak, never refrigerated); 250 g Fresh fior di latte mozzarella (125 g ball in liquid) (2 × 125 g balls, drained weight, one per plate; kosher mozzarella); 10 g Fresh basil (about 12 leaves); 25 g Extra virgin olive oil (2.5 tbsp, mild and fruity, about 1 generous tbsp per plate); 0.5 g Dried oregano (1 pinch, for the tomatoes); 1.5 g Fine salt (1/4 tsp, for the tomatoes); 1 g Fleur de sel (a few crystals on each mozzarella slice, to serve); 0.5 g Black peppercorns (a few turns of the pepper mill to serve); 100 g Bread (baguette or country loaf) (2 generous slices, for soaking up the juices)

dairy Italian · easy · 30 min, including 10 hands-on

Ripe tomatoes, a whole ball of drained but tender mozzarella per person and fresh basil, dressed with olive oil at the last moment. A little oregano lifts the tomatoes, and a few crystals of fleur de sel finish the mozzarella.

Ingredients for two

350 g	Tomatoes, vine or round 3 good ripe tomatoes, vine or beefsteak, never refrigerated
250 g	Fresh fior di latte mozzarella (125 g ball in liquid) 2 × 125 g balls, drained weight, one per plate; kosher mozzarella
10 g	Fresh basil about 12 leaves
25 g	Extra virgin olive oil 2.5 tbsp, mild and fruity, about 1 generous tbsp per plate
0.5 g	Dried oregano 1 pinch, for the tomatoes
1.5 g	Fine salt 1/4 tsp, for the tomatoes
1 g	Fleur de sel a few crystals on each mozzarella slice, to serve
0.5 g	Black peppercorns a few turns of the pepper mill to serve
100 g	Bread (baguette or country loaf) 2 generous slices, for soaking up the juices (optional)

Method

Take the mozzarella out of the fridge 30 minutes before serving and drain out of its liquid in a sieve, without pressing; it should stay soft, not dry. Keep the tomatoes out of the fridge and use as they are. While the cheese drains, slice the tomatoes 7–8 mm thick. Rinse, inspect and dry the basil.
Slice both mozzarella balls to the same thickness as the tomatoes. Alternate tomato and mozzarella slices on two plates, one ball per plate, without stacking them high.
Just before serving, sprinkle the fine salt and pinch of oregano over the tomatoes, a few crystals of fleur de sel over each mozzarella slice, then grind pepper over everything. Tuck the basil leaves between the slices, tearing larger ones by hand.
Drizzle the 25 g oil generously over both plates and serve immediately with the bread. If a little liquid has collected, leave it: the oil and tomato juice make a light dressing to mop up with bread, without flooding the slices.

On your plate

Recipe

560 kcal · protein 26 g · carbs 31 g · fat 36 g

Quantities per person

175 g Tomatoes, vine or round
125 g Fresh fior di latte mozzarella (125 g ball in liquid)
5 g Fresh basil
12.5 g Extra virgin olive oil
0.25 g Dried oregano
0.75 g Fine salt
0.5 g Fleur de sel
0.25 g Black peppercorns
50 g Bread (baguette or country loaf)

Cooking tips

Drain the mozzarella, but do not dry it for as long as you would for pizza. Taking it out of the fridge earlier, up to 1 hour before serving, only improves it. Prepare only the slices ahead, keeping the mozzarella chilled and the tomatoes at room temperature; add salt and oil when serving. Do not add vinegar: the tomatoes provide the acidity. Kosher buffalo mozzarella, if available, makes a different starter; in that case, use basil alone and omit oregano. Without bread, this starter is gluten-free. It is dairy, so serve with a dairy or pareve main course.

Equipment : sieve, 2 flat plates

Campanian insalata caprese, with fresh basil and a discreet pinch of oregano on the tomato.