Caprese Salad with Basil Oil and Herbed Sea Salt
CATEGORIES
INGREDIENTS
  • Cooking Time: 1 minute
  • Servings: 4
  • Preparation Time: 10 minutes
  • 4 Heirloom or Vine-Ripened Tomatoes, ends discarded and sliced ½ inch thick
  • 2 balls fresh mozzarella, sliced ½ inch thick
  • 4 leaves fresh basil
  • Grape or Cherry Tomatoes (optional)
  • For the Basil Oil:
  • 2 cups basil
  • ice bath
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • salt
  • For the Basil Sea Salt:
  • 2 tsp dried basil
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • Good Quality Balsamic Vinegar
DIRECTIONS
  1. For the Basil Oil: Blanche basil in boiling water. Shock in ice bath and set aside.
  4. Place basil into a blender with ½ cup olive oil and a pinch of kosher salt and puree until smooth. Pass through a fine chinois or strainer.
  5. For the Basil Sea Salt: Crush dried basil with a mortar and pestle until it becomes a powder. Mix with 1 tsp sea salt. Set aside.
  6. To Plate: Place alternating slices of tomato and mozzarella in the center of the plate, starting and ending with a tomato slice (you should have three slices of tomato and two slices of mozzarella). Repeat with the other three tomatoes. Top with a fresh basil leaf.
  7. Drizzle basil oil over tomatoes and around plate. Drizzle lightly with balsamic vinegar (careful not to use too much).