Caprese Salad

Caprese Salad

History and info of Caprese Salad

Caprese Salad is one of the most delicious dishes found in all of Italian cuisine is Caprese salad or the Insalata Caprese. This dish marries some of the most notable ingredients in Italian cuisine including tomatoes, olive oil, fresh mozzarella cheese, and fresh basil. The dish has been popular for many decades, but where did it actually come from? The first origin story for Caprese salad dates back to post-World War I Italy. A patriotic mason wanted to make a dish that was a true tribute to Italy and that visually incorporated the tricolor into the presentation. The first printed mention of the Caprese salad was on a menu at the Hotel Quisisana. After the initial positive response, Caprese salad was enjoyed by many but failed to really catch fire. King Farouk, in the 1950s, asked his chef for a light afternoon snack and was served a Caprese sandwich. At that point, the rest is history! Tourists began to flock to the region and Caprese salad soon became known as a staple of Capri food and culture. Over time, the recipe was refined and improved by adding bufala mozzarella instead of the traditional vaccine mozzarella.

Ingredients

    2 cups balsamic vinegar
    3 ripe tomatoes
    12 ounces fresh mozzarella, thickly sliced
    Large bunch fresh basil leaves
    Olive oil, for drizzling
    Large pinch kosher salt and a large pinch freshly ground black pepper

Recipe

Measure the balsamic vinegar and pour into a saucepan. Bring it to a gentle boil over a low heat. Cook it until the balsamic vinegar has reduced to a nice thick glaze (but still pourable), about 15 minutes. Oh and one other thing, your house will stink. But it's a good kind of stink, it's a vinegary stink. Allow the reduction to cool to room temperature before you serve it. When you are ready to assemble the salad, cut the tomatoes into thick slices. Arrange them on a platter, alternating them with the mozzarella slices. Tuck the whole basil leaves in between the tomato and cheese slices. Drizzle on the gorgeous, almost black balsamic reduction. Then drizzle olive oil in a thin stream over the top. Finally, sprinkle on salt and pepper.