Mille foglie di pane Carasau, crema di bufala e pomodori confit
Pane Carasau is a typical Sardenian bread which has been used by shepherds for centuries. I have used this bread here instead of pastry, the dish much lighter and is so simple to make for a celebration lunch or dinner. This finger food was used as part of a special Christmas Menu I created for “That’s Amore cheese” who produce one of the best fresh buffalo mozzarella available to us in Australia.
Ingredients for 4 people
2 sheets of Pane Carasau (sold in continental delicatessens)
6 tbs of olive oil
4 very ripe Roma tomatoes
A few pinches of caster sugar, salt and dried oregano
A few drops of balsamic vinegar
2 to 3 shallots very finely chopped
1 buffalo mozzarella
200 gr of rocket leaves
Salt and pepper
You will need to prepare the tomatoes the day before or earlier if you prefer.
Warm the oven to 120°.
Slice the tomatoes in halves; remove any white core and excess water.
Finely slice the shallots. Line an oven tray with baking paper and lay the tomatoes cut side up, on the tray.
Dress each tomato half with a little sugar, salt, top with a tsp of chopped shallots and a pinch of dried oregano.
Drizzle extra virgin olive oil all over the tomatoes to cover.
Transfer the tray to the oven and cook for about one hour. After 1 hr the tomatoes will have wilted to about half their size (this will depend on their size), drizzle a drop of balsamic vinegar on each and continue to cook for 1/2 hour at 150°.
The tomatoes will be cooked when they have totally collapsed and the balsamic vinegar has caramelised.
Transfer the tomatoes to a glass bowl; make sure the tomatoes are covered in olive oil before storing in the fridge. Bring back to room temperature before preparing the dish.
Chop the buffalo mozzarella into small pieces, add 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper and some of the mozzarella preserving water. Whiz with a stick blender to achieve a very smooth cream.
To assemble the finger food.
Warm the oven to 180°, drizzle the pane Carasau with extra virgin olive oil and bake in the oven for 5 minutes.
Dress the rocket leaves with some of the oil from the tomato confit. Cut each piece of bread into 6 pieces.
On each plate layer one piece of bread, top with a few rocket leaves, add one dessert spoon of mozzarella cream, top with another piece of bread, layer 2 tomato halves and a few rocket leaves, complete with a last piece of bread and half a dessert spoon of mozzarella cream, drizzle some of the tomato oil on top and serve.
