Modern Panznella Salad
It seems I can never leave well enough alone. I like to tinker with recipes and update them to a more modern flavor and taste presentation. The panzanella is typically a rustic Italian salad with day old crusty bread, tomatoes, olive, peppers, cucumbers and some sort of vinaigrette dressing. I first ran into this salad when I was interviewing for a corporate chef position at a restaurant called Bandera in Phoenix.They had their own version that included fresh corn and a rotisserie chicken. It was delicious by not true to the original.
With my version, I wrapped lettuce into bundles using a cucumber strip and set that on a colorful array of red pepper julienne, heirloom cherry tomatoes, hot house cucumber triangles, kalmata olives, tiny brioche croutons, a parmesan "tuile" and a drizzle of reduced balsamic vinegar and basil oil. It was a busy salad and plating for 75 guests took about 15 minutes.
Tastefully yours®
Chef Michael Hutchings
Plating for 75 Guests
