Chef Danilo Cortellini
Ditch the chopped tomato once and try this intriguing alternative for a bruschetta. When in season, figs are often served as part of cheese or charcuterie boards, so why not on top of a bruschetta with rich and umami Grana Padano PDO Riserva, aged over 20 months. I am sure Nonna would have approved!
Ingredients
- 4 thick and large slices of crusty bread (like sourdough)
- 4 ripe figs
- 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
- 1 garlic clove
- Fresh basil leaves to garnish
- 2 tbsp of balsamic vinegar
- 30 g of finely grated Grana Padano PDO Riserva
- 20 g of toasted, chopped hazelnuts to sprinkle
- Salt and black pepper
- Honey to drizzle (optional if the figs aren’t sweet)
- For the pesto:
- 50 g basil, washed and well drained
- 70ml olive oil
- 40 g grated Grana Padano PDO Riserva
- 1/2 garlic clove (optional)
- 10 g toasted hazelnuts
- Salt to taste
Preparation
To prepare the pesto, simply blitz all the ingredients in a processor until you have a grainy paste then season to taste. Don’t overheat it, keep the blitzing to a minimum. The pesto keeps well in the fridge for up to a week into clean glass jar (well covered).
Wash and dry the figs and with a sharp knife slice them thinly.
When ready for plating, pre-heat a griddle pan (or the grill of your oven) and drizzle the bread slices with olive oil. Charr them on both sides for about 1 to 2 minutes on high heat or until golden and the marks have appeared. Peel and cut the garlic clove in half the garlic clove and smear on the bread slices while still hot as you remove them from the grill. This elevates the flavour of your bruschettas tenfolds!
Now prepare the bruschettas. Spread the pesto on the bottom, then place the figs slices in an orderly manner and drizzle with a little olive oil and a touch of good balsamic vinegar. Drizzle with honey only if necessary (see chef’s tips).
Sprinkle with freshly grated Grana Padano PDO, salt and pepper, then garnish with basil leaves and toasted hazelnuts. Serve immediately.
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Chef’s tip
When in season, figs are very sweet, and the skin is thin so I don’t peel them at all but simply rinse them. If your figs aren’t too ripe, remove the skin and add a drizzle of honey to balance the missing sweetness.