Crazy for Crostini (part II)
- Georgina Donatantonio
- Jul 1, 2020
- 3 min read
"Absence makes the heart grow fonder". A month apart, and I'd become uptight, irritable, and even more crazy for crostini. There was only one thing for it.
Tomato Crostini
I have a slight bee in my bonnet when it comes to tomatoes. They have the ability to produce the most flavoursome, rich, and sweet sauce, and on the other end of the spectrum, they can end up a watery, bland, and tasteless pulp. Therefore, I always approach any tomato-dominant recipe with great trepidation.
The only ones that have come anywhere close to the intensity of Mediterranean tomatoes are from the Isle of White at ‘The Tomato Stall’ in Borough Market. Alas, neither London Bridge, nor Italy, are just around the corner from me, so I make do with what I’ve got… Sainsbury's.
I diced away, added a great glug of extra-virgin olive oil, an unhealthy amount of salt, and my little secret… sun-dried tomatoes. In went my handful of fresh basil, a little rub of raw garlic on my wee crostini, and the result? Supermarket tomatoes resembling (not wholly, but a significant step up nonetheless) the Mediterranean beauties I’ve long craved.
Caponata Crostini
I have always been a carnivore. But fortunately nowadays, not one as radical as the young G. Back when I was an ignorant youth, I declared that any vegetarian dish was pointless. A very assured statement. And also, incredibly foolish.
My sister one evening cooked up caponata served on polenta. Living in a house full of meat-eaters, this was a brave, some would say unwise, move. Yet, this was the night we Donatantonio’s found ourselves converted.
The concentration of flavours - sweet and slightly charred aubergine, juicy tinned cherry tomatoes, capers, an abundance of butter, and a dash of balsamic – simmered and reduced to one syrupy and caramelised hit of flavour.
Baccalà Mantecato Crostini
I did have a picture of me smiling with my crostini di baccalà mantecato, but the excitement caused my hands to shake, my feet to bounce, and the photo thus blurred.
My obsession began fairly recently at the London 2019 Bellavita & Ibérica Awards. My exhibition companion was already firmly fixated. In a frenzied state, he said I absolutely MUST try the whipped salt-cod. With stall after stall adorned with prosciutto, guanciale, capocollo, I admit that a little jar of white mush failed to rouse me. But (it happens far too often than I care to confess) more fool me. Baccalà became my go-to breakfast buddy.
When recreating it, I cheated hugely, and made a VERY unauthentic version. I bought frozen white fish fillets, nestled them in foil, and cooked for around 20 minutes. After they had cooled down, I mashed them up with a good glug of extra-virgin olive oil, salt, pepper, thyme, and (please forgive me) mayonnaise.
No, it doesn’t beat the real thing, but, when you don’t have easy access to salt cod, then this is a quick, tasty, and I’d say justified, alternative.
Cream of Pistachio Crostini
This was a faff. But a mouth-watering faff at least. The aim had been to replicate the inside of a Sicilian Cannoli; with ricotta, sugar, vanilla, and decorative pistachios; thus, making a sweet crostino.
However, another mixed-and-muddled shopping experience saw mascarpone land in the trolley rather than ricotta. Therefore, with the help of Sister Emma, we took a swift U-turn, and created a moreish, decadent crema al pistacchio. The nuisance lies in the cooking and de-fibring of each nut. Though once that is out of the way, you’re back onto smooth and flat territory.
Gently whizz up your de-fibred pistachios with a tub of mascarpone, fold onto your crostini, and decorate with a garnish of fresh thyme.
My appetite for crostini STILL not fully satiated, I have created a site dedicated to cicchetti, stuzzichini & aperitivi (the best of the unsung Italian 'tapas').
Visit www.gobbleguzzle.com & give me a follow on www.instagram.com/gobbleguzzle to keep up to date with my latest replications and recreations!
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