JamieOliver.com
crostini with buffalo mozzarella and chilli
Serves 12I've always thought of crostini as small bruschette but this isn't completely correct, as they are usually made with white bread instead of sourdough. I'm told that in the old days the bread would have been so stale that it would have to be soaked in a little stock or juice to make it chewy and edible again, but don't worry. In this day and age you don't have to do this. In Italy they simply grill a 1cm/½ inch slice of ciabatta, rub it with a cut clove of garlic, drizzle it with oil and season it with salt and pepper. Crostini are a great aperitivo with a drink, especially if you offer a few different toppings.
Grill your slices of ciabatta. While they're still hot, rub them gently with the cut side of the garlic and drizzle with good-quality extra virgin olive oil. Now finish with your favourite toppings...
Tear 3 x 150g balls of buffalo mozzarella into quarters, then top each of your hot crostini with one of the quarters. Deseed and finely chop a fresh red chilli and sprinkle this over the mozzarella. Add a little seasoning and finish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Lovely with a little fresh basil torn over.
