Panzanella With Crispy Pigs Ear Recipes

PANZANELLA SALAD

Steps:

• Heat ¼ cup of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the bread and ½ teaspoon salt; toss well. Cook, stirring frequently, until the bread is crispy and golden brown, about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
• In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, peppers, cucumber, capers, wine vinegar, garlic, shallots, pepper, the remaining ½ teaspoon salt, and the remaining ½ cup oil. Toss well.
• Right before serving, add two-thirds of the toasted bread and basil to the salad. Toss to combine, then taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary (I usually add about ¼ tsp more salt). Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle the remaining toasted bread cubes over top. Serve immediately so the bread doesn't get soggy.

CHEF JOHN'S PANZANELLA

Steps:

• Pour bread into a large skillet and drizzle with 1/4 cup olive oil, working in batches if necessary. Cook and stir bread over medium heat, adding more oil as needed, until bread cubes are golden and crispy on the outside, 7 to 12 minutes.
• Sprinkle Parmigiano-Reggiano over the top of the bread cubes; cook and stir until cheese is melted onto bread, and bread is crispy on the outside but still chewy on the inside, 3 to 4 minutes more. Cool completely.
• Combine tomatoes, red wine vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, garlic, sugar, salt, and black pepper together in a bowl until well-mixed. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature until flavors combine, about 20 minutes.
• Toss basil into tomato mixture; add bread cubes and stir. Let salad sit at room temperature 3 to 4 minutes; if the liquid is completely absorbed, add more vinegar and extra virgin olive oil to taste. Season with salt and black pepper.

PANZANELLA

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Put the tomatoes in a colander and sprinkle over 1 tsp sea salt, then leave to sit for 15 mins.
• Spread the chunks of bread out on a baking tray and toss with 1 tbsp of the oil. Bake for 10-15 mins, or until lightly toasted.
• In a bowl, whisk together the remaining oil, the vinegar and shallot. Season to taste. Toss the anchovies with the tomatoes, croutons, olive oil dressing, the olives and half the basil in a large bowl. Spoon the panzanella onto a serving plate and top with the remaining basil.

PANZANELLA WITH CRISPY PIG'S EAR

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• To prepare the pig's ears, wash them well under cold running water. Put them in a deep-sided braising dish with the garlic and thyme and cover completely with olive oil. Cover with foil and poach for 5 to 6 hours, or until completely tender. You can strain the poaching oil through a fine-mesh sieve and keep for frying and sautéing.
• Up to 2 hours before serving, bring 3 inches of oil to 350°F in a deep-fat fryer or Dutch oven. Remove the ears from the braising pan and cut each in half. Fry for 6 to 8 minutes, or until crispy all the way through. Set aside on a wire rack to drain.
• To make the panzanella, preheat the oven to 350°F. Bring a pot of water to a boil and prepare an ice-water bath.
• Toss the bread cubes with 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake until slightly dry but still chewy in the center, about 15 minutes.
• Place the anchovies and garlic in a large bowl with the remaining 4 tablespoons olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Add the tomatoes, and lemon juice. Shave the onion on a mandoline and add to the mixture. Add the bread cubes and allow to sit for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• To serve, divide the panzanella among 6 shallow bowls. Garnish each bowl with half a fried ear.