Many people like a simple tomato salad with basil and mozzarella, but not everyone knows that it has a beautiful Italian name - caprese. This appetizer is very simple, easy and delicious. Real Italians use caprese as an aperitif before another classic dish - pasta. The salad has a minimal amount of ingredients, but there is a huge variety of different dressings. Before preparing this appetizer, it is recommended that you first select the right foods.
Product selection
Basically, all the chefs in Italy use their national tomato variety - Iarge vine-ripened. It is believed that it is ideal for this dish. This variety is somewhat similar to our usual cherry tomatoes (they grow in clusters on one branch), but the size of Iarge vine-ripened is slightly larger. Of course, to find such a tomato variety in our country is quite problematic.
Local cooks often use regular oblong-shaped tomatoes that resemble plums. They are the most suitable for a tomato salad with mozzarella and basil. There is another more expensive type of this vegetable - chumak. It has a bright red color, the core is not white, a magnificent smell, which is not inherent in every variety.
As for the basil, there are no specific requirements for the plant. The main thing is that it is fresh, ideally - only from the garden. It is also advisable to take basil with small leaves, it is they who give the caprese an unforgettable aroma that is so attractive.
A classic recipe for tomatoes with mozzarella and basil involves cheese from buffalo milk. However, even in Italy itself, you can hardly find a caprese from such a product, so everyone uses ordinary mozzarella made from cow's milk.
There are no specific requirements for cheese balls, because their size does not change the taste. Larger layers of mozzarella will simply be more convenient to cut, and the look of the dish will turn out more attractive. And of course, you should choose only the freshest cheese, then it has an unrivaled taste and aroma.
Ingredients
To prepare one plate of such a dish, you need to take:
- tomatoes - 250 g;
- mozzarella cheese - 150 g;
- fresh basil - 1-2 branches;
- olive oil;
- salt pepper;
- balsamic vinegar (optional);
- capers (optional).
Product Preparation
First of all, you should prepare products for work. Tomatoes need to be thoroughly washed and cut the stem. Please note that the stem must be cut carefully in a circle so that the main part of the vegetable is not damaged, since in this case a beautiful cut is needed. Fresh basil should be washed and put on a dampened paper towel (the plant is better preserved).
Slicing and laying out ingredients
When the products are ready, proceed to slicing. Tomatoes need to be cut into beautiful rings 0.7-0.9 cm thick. In this case, this procedure should only be done with a sharp knife, because otherwise the slices of the tomato may have an ugly appearance.
Mozzarella should be cut depending on the shape of the cheese, but according to the classic recipe, the pieces should match the thickness and diameter of the tomatoes. If tomatoes with basil and mozzarella are cooked for the home, then still it is not so important what form the mozzarella will have.
After the vegetables are sliced, carefully lay them on a plate. First spread the tomato right at the edge of the plate, then a piece of mozzarella is placed on the vegetable. Next up is the tomato. And so on - until the edges of the plate are completely in a circle in these two ingredients. What the caprese should look like is seen in the next photo. Tomatoes with mozzarella and basil have just such an appearance, almost all restaurants in the world serve this dish just like that.
Dressing salad
The next step is to refuel. These products on a plate should be sprinkled with a small amount of salt and pepper, optionally you can add oregano and drizzle with olive oil. After that, carefully spread the basil leaves all over the plate, and you can pour a little on all with balsamic vinegar. These spices are classic that have been used in Italy for many centuries. But if you want to experiment a little, then you can prepare an alternative dressing for a tomato salad with basil and mozzarella.
Cooking the sauce does not take much time and effort, the main condition is the presence of a blender. So, in one dish you should throw 10-15 leaves of basil, thyme, olive oil and very little rosemary. The whole mixture should be beaten in a blender, and then it must be filtered through a fine sieve so that the solid parts of the basil do not come across in the dish. Thanks to this simple gas station, the caprese gets a new life and acquires a completely different, unusual taste for many people. Therefore, if a person wants something new, then it is definitely recommended to try this gas station.