Panzanella - Michael Chiarello's Napa (Episode 13)

stale bread

🥗Healthier: whole grain bread

💰Cheaper: day-old bread

Whole grain bread adds fiber, while day-old bread is often less expensive.

ripe tomatoes

🥗Healthier: heirloom tomatoes

💰Cheaper: canned tomatoes

Heirloom tomatoes offer unique flavors, while canned tomatoes are budget-friendly.

red onion

🥗Healthier: green onion

💰Cheaper: white onion

Green onion provides a milder taste, while white onion is often cheaper.

olive oil

🥗Healthier: avocado oil

💰Cheaper: vegetable oil

Avocado oil is healthier, while vegetable oil is more affordable.

Grab a loaf of bread that's a couple of days old and use a serrated knife to cut off the crust.

Cut the bread into croutons of any size you want, aiming for about half dry.

Heat a pan and add farmhouse butter, allowing it to brown slightly.

Add the croutons to the pan with the browned butter, seasoning with salt and fresh ground black pepper.

Turn the croutons around in the pan to start the caramelization process.

Grate reggiano parmigiano cheese over the croutons using a microplane.

Turn on the convection setting on the oven before baking the croutons to ensure they get crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.

Prepare the tomatoes by boiling them for about 20 seconds to peel them if necessary, then cut them in half and squeeze out some seeds if desired.

Chop the tomatoes into pieces roughly the same size as the croutons.

Drain the tomatoes, reserving any juice for later use.

Make a tomato vinaigrette using the chopped tomatoes and their juice, along with lemon juice.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary