Mozzarella-Chili and Fig-Prosciutto Crostini
Crostini means “little toasts” in Italian, little slices of bread drizzled with olive oil and toasted in the oven until they become crispy. They’re the perfect little vessels for which to carry an infinite variation of delicious toppings, and my two favorite topping combinations are mozzarella-basil and fig-prosciutto.
The best thing about making crostini is that the rules are bendable and you can use your imagination to create whatever toppings suit your taste. Measurements aren’t as strict either and you can drizzle or sprinkle to your heart’s content. For me, the spicy mozzarella-basil crostini were a great contrast against the fig-prosciutto crostini, which I drizzled with balsamic vinegar for a sweet-sour kick.
Ingredients:
1 loaf ciabatta bread, sliced into 1/2-inch slices
1 clove garlic, peeled and sliced in half
6 ripe figs, each torn in half
12 slices prosciutto
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
salt and black pepper
3 medium-sized balls buffalo mozzarella, each torn into quarters
1 red chili, seeded and chopped
1 handful basil, julienned
1. Toast the slices of ciabatta in a heated oven for about ten minutes at 350 degrees. While the slices are still hot, rub them gently with the cut side of the garlic and drizzle with lightly drizzle with olive oil.
2. Set aside half of the crostini. With the first batch of crostini, place one or two fig halves on each crostini. Drape a piece of prosciutto over and under the figs on each of the crostini, and lightly drizzle with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Sprinkle with black pepper.
3. With the second half of the crostini, top slice with a piece of torn mozzarella. Sprinkle chopped chili over the mozzarella. Lightly season with salt and drizzle with olive oil. Top each of these crostini with the basil.