Whatcha Got Cookin’ is a weekly rock-n-roll recipe from area chefs and restaurants, presented to you so you can try to make it yourself. This week we check out the Wicked Panzanella from Wicked Sisters in Hampden.
Whatcha Got Cookin’ is made possible in part by the Maryland Department of Agriculture’s Maryland’s Best Seafood and Agriculture Products Program.
Wicked Sisters’ Wicked Panzanella – A classic Italian bread and tomato salad with an Asian twist. Super light but hearty at the same time.
2.5lbs mix tomatoes cut into bite size pieces
.75 lbs ciabatta or sourdough cut into 1 inch cubes roughly 6 cups
2 cups torn spinach
1.5 bunch scallion (Minced)
1.5 bunch cilantro. (Minced)
2/3 cup ginger (Minced)
.25 cup garlic (minced)
5 oz lemon juice fresh squeezed
2.5 cup rice wine vinegar
2.5 cup soy sauce
1.25 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon szechuan peppercorn toasted and ground
1 teaspoon black pepper
Preheat oven to 350*F. While oven is heating cut tomatoes put into bowl and reserve for later. Toss bread with 2 tablespoon olive oil. Transfer the bread to rimmed baking sheet. Bake until crisp and firm but not browned, roughly 10-15 min. Remove from oven and cool.
For the pesto, mix together scallions, cilantro, ginger, garlic, vinegar, lemon, soy, sugar, salt, szechuan peppercorns and black pepper.
*for the mincing you can do all by hand or rough chop put into blender and pulsed.
Once bread has cooled down. Mix together cut tomatoes, bread and spinach. Toss with pesto, coat all bread, tomatoes and spinach (You want the bread to be moist but not drowning in the pesto, you can always add more but you can’t always take out). Let rest for roughly 20 min before serving, tossing occasionally until pesto is absorbed by bread. To serve place equal portions into 6 bowls. Bon Appetit!
