What a lot of fuss over a few slices of crusty bread? Was it Mr Antonio Carluccio, the patron saint of all things Italian in the UK, who first made some crusty bread with toppings, the most trendy snack since on the International circuit? Was it some TV chef out to prove that this could be considered a “gourmet” appetizer? Or was it some clever person from the Shirley Conran school of thought (the very same author who said “life is too short to stuff a mushroom”) who came up with the idea to serve open sandwiches as acceptable starters? So, what exactly is a crostini and what is the difference between this and a bruschetta (actually pronounced “broosketta”, with no sign of the ‘h’ pronounced anywhere)? The difference is minimal. Bruschetta is often served in restaurants as garlic bread, a somewhat debased version of the original, which is actually a piece of bread toasted brown on both sides and then moistened with a generous dribble of olive oil
and sometimes garlic. Crostini are originally from Tuscany and are made with unsalted Tuscan bread which is toasted and spread with chicken liver paté, wild boar stew or vegetables. The finest crostini are spread with paté and topped with a slice of truffle. They are served with aperitifs. If you are the kind of person that indulges in aperitifs on a regular basis, there you go, otherwise serve them as a first course or a party snack.
This is my version of a Sicilian vegetable stew, Caponata, which goes extremely well with our heightened taste buds and makes a fabulous and very impressive crostini.
Caponata
Ingredients
1 large onion, chopped
3-4 celery stalks, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cups oil for frying aubergine
1 kg aubergines (bharta baingan), cut into 1” chunks
10 green olives, chopped
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
250g Arrabiata (Pune Farmers Mkt brand)
Salt and Pepper
Method
Fry the onion and celery in the olive oil for a couple of minutes only, until cooked but not brown. Deep fry the aubergine chunks until golden. Drain on absorbent paper. Add the aubergine to the onion, celery and add all the remaining ingredients. Stir well, then cover and cook for about 10 minutes, removing the lid of the pan towards the end of cooking. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve at room temperature on toasted bread.
