Charred Caprese Sandwich Recipes

CAPRESE SANDWICH WITH TOMATO, MOZZARELLA, AND FRESH BASIL

Steps:

• Eat now or wrap tightly to enjoy later.

TOASTED CAPRESE SANDWICH

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Cut off the top of the head of garlic to expose the cloves, trimming about 1/4 inch off of the top of each clove. Drizzle the cut cloves with olive oil, then nestle the head into a piece of aluminum foil. Place in preheated oven and bake until the cloves are tender, about 35 minutes. Remove garlic from oven; do not turn oven off. Squeeze garlic from cloves into a small dish; mash into a paste.
• Spread the butter on the cut sides of the bread, sprinkle with rosemary, and place on a baking sheet. Toast bread in preheated oven for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and spread with garlic paste. Top one half of loaf with basil and tomatoes. Drizzle tomato slices with balsamic vinegar. Top remaining half of loaf with sliced mozzarella. Return sandwich halves to baking sheet.
• Place in hot oven and cook until the cheese has melted, about 10 minutes. Allow sandwich to cool slightly before assembling. Cut into 4 pieces to serve.

CHARRED CAPRESE SANDWICH

Steps:

• Mix mayonnaise, mustard, and lemon juice in a small bowl; season with salt.
• Toss shallot, garlic, and vinegar in another small bowl; season with salt. Let sit 10 minutes. Drain, reserving shallots and vinegar separately in small bowls.
• Prepare a grill for medium-high heat. Brush cut sides of bread with 2 Tbsp. oil total and grill until lightly charred, about 2 minutes per side. (Or broil bread halves, cut side up, until lightly charred, about 2 minutes.) Season with salt; let cool.
• Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high (you can do this directly on the grill grates or on a burner). Toss tomatoes with remaining 2 Tbsp. oil and cook, shaking pan often, until tomatoes are blistered and lightly charred, about 3 minutes. Add tomatoes to bowl with reserved vinegar; season with salt and pepper. Let cool slightly, then add basil, parsley, and lemon zest and toss gently to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
• Spread both halves of baguette with mayonnaise mixture. Top with mozzarella, tomato salad, and shallots, and sprinkle with red pepper flakes.
• Mayonnaise can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and chill.

CHARRED CAPRESE SALAD

Steps:

• Preheat the grill to high.
• Combine the dried Italian seasoning, granulated garlic, salt and pepper on a plate. Brush the entire log of mozzarella with about a tablespoon of balsamic glaze, then roll in the dry spices. Place the cheese in the freezer to set up, 20 to 30 minutes.
• Oil the grill grates, then place the log of mozzarella on the grill to char quickly, about 2 minutes. Roll a quarter-turn and repeat until all sides are charred but not gooey, 2 minutes per side. Let it cool for a minute, then slice into 1/2-inch slices.
• Arrange the sliced tomatoes on a platter. Top the tomatoes with the sliced charred mozzarella, torn fresh basil, a drizzle of balsamic glaze, a sprinkle of sea salt and a drizzle of olive oil.

SMOKY CAPRESE SANDWICHES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• If your ciabatta rolls are very bready, pick out a little of the crumb. Put the rolls on a baking pan and bake until warm and crisp on the outside, about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat a small grill pan or cast-iron pan over medium-high heat until very hot. Toss the red onion in 1 tablespoon of the oil and sprinkle with a little salt, then grill, turning occasionally, until slightly softened and charred in spots, about 6 minutes.
• Stir together the basil, smoked almonds, crushed red pepper, 1/4 teaspoon salt and the remaining 4 tablespoons olive oil in a bowl.
• Arrange the bottom halves of the ciabatta rolls on a work surface. Drizzle with a little olive oil, then arrange the tomatoes on top; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Next, top evenly with the onions, followed by the almond mixture. Lay the mozzarella on top; sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle with a little more olive oil. Top with the arugula and serve immediately.

CAPRESE SANDWICH

Steps:

• Spread mayonnaise on 1 side of each slice of toast. Top half the toast slices with tomatoes, salt and pepper. Add onion, mozzarella and basil; top with remaining bread slices.