Ricks Basic Bruschetta Recipe Epicuriouscom Recipes

EASY BRUSCHETTA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Combine tomato, basil, and red onion in a small mixing bowl; stir well. Season with freshly ground black pepper. Set aside.
• Arrange bread on a baking sheet. Place in oven, and bake until well toasted, approximately 5 minutes.
• Remove bread from oven, and transfer to a large serving platter. Let bread cool 3 to 5 minutes. Rub garlic into the top of each slice of toast; the toast should glisten with the garlic. Spoon the tomato mixture generously onto each slice, and serve.

BRUSCHETTA

Steps:

• Preheat the broiler or start a charcoal or wood fire. Broil or grill the bread until lightly browned on both sides. This may take less than a minute on a side; watch carefully so the bread doesn't burn.
• While it's still hot, rub the bread with the garlic on one or both sides. Put it on a plate, then drizzle it with olive oil and sprinkle it with salt and pepper. Serve warm.

RICK'S BASIC CROSTINI

Steps:

• 1. On a cutting board, finely chop the garlic and sprinkle the salt over it. Keep chopping and smashing the garlic and salt together to make a paste. Use a wide-bladed knife so you can smear the paste along its flat side. You can also do this with a mortar and pestle.
• 2. In a small bowl, mix the butter, lemon juice, and garlic paste. Fold the softened butter over and onto the garlic mixture, mashing it down with the back of a spoon or spatula. Season to taste with pepper and continue folding.
• 3. Lay a sheet of plastic wrap on a work surface. Scrape the butter onto the plastic and use the plastic wrap to shape butter into a log, encased in the plastic wrap. Refrigerate until ready to use. If not using within 3 days, you can freeze the garlic butter for up to 2 months. Let the butter soften before using.
• 4. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
• 5. Lay the bread on a baking sheet and brush both sides with garlic butter. Bake for 6 to 7 minutes, turning once, until golden brown but not too crispy. Let cool before using.
• Good Butter
• The difference between really good butter and all other butter lies with the butterfat content of the cream, which depends in large part on the cows and how the cream is handled before it is churned into butter. The best butter from Europe is made from raw or cultured cream and, particularly that made from raw cream, might not be imported to the United States. But never fear: At American companies such as the Vermont Butter & Cheese Company, the butter is made from high-grade cream (a high butterfat content) that is cultured and then churned. The butter is rich and flavorful and when it's salted, its salt content is significantly lower than typical salted butter. This is what I use in my crostini recipes, so depending on the salted butter you choose, you may not need to add any salt. As with all ingredients for these recipes, choose the best butter you can. It pays off in terms of taste.

BASIC BRUSCHETTA

Steps:

• Prepare a medium-hot charcoal fire.
• Cut the middle portion of the round loaf into 6 long slices, each one almost an inch thick. Cut these slices in half, making half-slices that are roughly 3x3x1 inches.
• When fire is ready, place the 12 slices over it in a single layer. Cook, turning once, until the outsides of the bread are golden brown (with grill marks, if possible). This should take about 2 minutes per side-but check frequently to make sure the bread isn't burning.
• When the bread slices are done, rub the edges of each one, on both sides, with a cut clove of garlic-lightly or heavily, depending on your garlic preference. Place the slices on a large platter in a single layer. Sprinkle each slice with 2 teaspoons of olive oil, breaking the surface of the bread lightly with a spoon to let the oil soak in. Season with salt and pepper. Turn the slices over and repeat the procedure. Let the slices sit in the olive oil for 10-15 minutes. Serve as is for simple bruschetta.

RICK'S BASIC BRUSCHETTA

Steps:

• 1. Prepare gas or charcoal grill or preheat the broiler or a panini press. The heating elements or coals should be medium-hot.
• 2. Cut the slices in half and brush both sides with a generous amount of olive oil. Season both sides with salt and pepper.
• 3. Grill or broil the bread, turning once, until lightly browned on both sides.
• 4. Gently rub 1 side of the toasts with garlic, sprinkle with cheese, and serve.

SKILLET BRUSCHETTA WITH BEANS AND GREENS

Steps:

• Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Brush bread on both sides with 4 tablespoons oil total. Working in 2 batches, cook bread, pressing occasionally to help crisp, until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Season toast with salt and pepper and set aside.
• Increase heat to medium-high and heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in same skillet. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add beans and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to blister, about 3 minutes. Using a spoon, lightly mash about half of the beans. Add kale and broth and cook, tossing often, until kale is wilted, about 2 minutes. Add lemon juice; season with salt and pepper.
• Serve beans and greens mixture over toast, drizzled with oil.

FRESH TOMATO BRUSCHETTA

Steps:

• In a bowl, mix all ingredients except bread and garlic cloves. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside, unrefrigerated, 3 hours. Heat oven to 350°F. Toast bread on a baking sheet. Rub cut side of garlic on each slice; top with tomato mixture.

BLT BRUSCHETTA

Steps:

• Preheat the grill or broiler.
• Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the bacon and cook until crispy. Drain on a paper-towel-lined plate and reserve.
• Slice the bread about an inch thick. Char the bread on both sides on the grill or under the broiler. Remove and reserve.
• In a medium-size mixing bowl, mash up the avocado with half of the lemon juice, salt and pepper, and the mashed garlic, then spread some avocado mash onto each piece of charred sliced bread.
• In another mixing bowl, combine the chopped tomatoes with the arugula, tarragon, basil, salt and pepper, the reserved bacon, the remaining lemon juice, and the EVOO. Top each of the avocado-smeared bread slices with some of the tomato, bacon, and arugula mixture.

GARLIC BRUSCHETTA

Steps:

• On a baking sheet toast the bread slices in batches under a preheated broiler about 3 inches from the heat for about 1 minute on each side, or until they are golden, transferring them as they are toasted to a work surface. Rub one side of each toast slice with the cut side of a garlic clove, brush it with some of the oil, and season it with salt.

BRUSCHETTA WITH BORLOTTI BEANS AND PROSCIUTTO DI PARMA

Steps:

• 1. Put the beans in a bowl or pot and add enough cold water to cover. Set aside to soak at room temperature for at least 8 hours. Change the water once or twice, if possible.
• 2. Drain the beans, transfer to a heavy-bottomed pot, and add water to cover by an inch or two. Bring the water to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, skim off any foam that rises to the surface, and simmer for about 1 hour, or until the beans are nearly tender. Check the water level during cooking and replenish it, if necessary. It's important to keep the beans submerged at all times during cooking.
• 3. Drain the beans and cool at room temperature. Cover and refrigerate until needed. The cooked beans will keep for up to 2 days.
• 4. In a large pot, cook the bacon over medium-high heat for about 6 minutes, or until brown and the fat is rendered. Add the onion, celery, fennel, salt, cayenne, and black pepper and cook, stirring, for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the onion softens. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for about 30 seconds, then add the wine. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a brisk simmer, and cook until reduced by half.
• 5. Add the tomatoes and their juices. Cook for about 2 minutes, then add the stock, vinegar, bay leaf, and beans.
• 6. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, season to taste with salt and pepper, cover, and simmer for 10 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender. Add more stock if necessary to keep the beans well moistened. Stir in the butter until incorporated.
• 7. Remove the beans from the heat and let them cool in the liquid until warm or room temperature.
• 8. In a small bowl, mix together the basil and sage.
• 9. Using a slotted spoon, scoop some beans from the pot and put on top of each toast. Too much liquid will make the bruschetta soggy, so drain carefully when lifting the beans from the pot.
• 10. Garnish each bruschetta with 1 slice of prosciutto and a sprinkling of the herbs. Drizzle with olive oil and serve.

BRUSCHETTA WITH SPICY CECI BEAN PURéE

Steps:

• 1. On a cutting board and using the blade and flat side of a large, sharp knife, mince and mash the garlic and salt to make a paste.
• 2. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade, pulse the ceci beans with the garlic paste, tahini, onion, the 1/4 cup of oil, lemon juice, vinegar, red pepper, and honey. Scrape down the sides of the bowl several times and pulse until the mixture is smooth. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. The texture of the paste should be that of spreadable peanut butter; if necessary, thin it with water and pulse again.
• 3. Spread the bean paste on the bruschetta. Sprinkle with pine nuts, tarragon, and parsley. Drizzle with olive oil, and serve garnished with lemon wedges for squeezing over the bruschetta.