Grilled Shrimp and Peach Panzanella With Heirloom Tomatoes, Burrata and Lemon-Miso Vinaigrette
Panzanella is truly the perfect summer salad. I’ve upped the ante with seafood and a big ball of burrata to make it an easy one-dish meal that can feed a hungry crowd. Warm grilled shrimp and peaches sit alongside heirloom tomatoes and crunchy bread that’s starting to take in the vinaigrette. Speaking of vinaigrette, a touch of miso infuses the lemon vinaigrette with a subtle umami that accentuates the sweetness of the peaches and the brightness of the tomatoes. This is summer on a platter.
Ciao ragazzi! Those long beautiful summer days and evenings are here, and so is gathering around the table with—well, everyone!—for meals alfresco. The inspiration? Idyllic Italian summers—whether spent in Positano, Tuscany or Sardinia—are all about sun, water, an Aperol Spritz or two and long lazy afternoon lunches with big platters of simple, delicious food served family style. My riffs on some of my all-time Italian favorites are perfect for summer meals outdoors. The classic vitello tonnato (a beloved Piedmontese dish of thinly sliced veal with a creamy tuna sauce) gets a pescatarian twist and a lighter sauce; panzanella, the famed Tuscan salad, becomes an updated one-platter meal with grilled shrimp and peaches and a luscious miso-lemon vinaigrette. And what’s for dessert? Ice pops with a fizzy Venetian twist. So this summer, gather friends and family, raise a glass of chilled vino rosato (that’s rosé to some of you, summer water to the rest of you) and celebrate. Cin cin e salute!
Find this recipe & article on The Purist.
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
Vinaigrette
2 tbsp white miso
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp Champagne vinegar
2 tbsp lemon juice
⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
⅓ cup olive oil
2 tsp lemon juice
2 large cloves garlic, minced
½ tsp kosher salt
½ tsp ground black pepper
1½ lb peeled and deveined shrimp
1 small loaf ciabatta (approximately 8 oz.), cut lengthwise
1 tbsp olive oil
2 yellow peaches, pitted and sliced into wedges
2 lb heirloom tomatoes, cut into wedges
1 small fennel bulb, thinly sliced
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 8 oz ball of burrata
Olive oil, for finishing
Flaky sea salt, for finishing
1 cup basil leaves, for finishing
METHOD
Make the vinaigrette: Add all ingredients to a small bowl and whisk until smooth.
Combine olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Add shrimp and toss. Marinate for 20 to 30 minutes. Thread shrimp on skewers.
Brush cut surfaces of ciabatta with olive oil.
Preheat grill on medium. Place shrimp skewers, peaches and ciabatta. Grill peaches approximately 1 minute per side. Grill shrimp and ciabatta for approximately 2 minutes per side. Ciabatta should be toasted and golden with some char at the edges.
To serve, spoon some of the vinaigrette on a serving platter or in a shallow bowl. Top with shrimp, ciabatta, peaches, tomatoes, fennel, red onion and burrata and drizzle with remaining vinaigrette. Finish with a glug of olive oil, flaky sea salt and basil, and serve.