Weekly special

10 December

I always love the idea of Insalata Caprese (literally, the salad from Capri); I mean, what’s better than sliced fresh mozzarella, sweet vine-ripened tomatoes and fresh basil in the summertime? But sometimes, it can be a little bland. The classic recipe calls for just a drizzle of olive oil and sprinkling of salt and pepper to flavor the salad, so as not to mask the delicate flavor of the mozzarella, but I like to add more oomph..

Ingredients & how to

Begin by sprinkling the tomatoes with sugar and half of the salt. Let them sit for a few minutes until the sugar dissolves, then arrange them on a platter, alternating with the mozzarella. Sprinkle the salad with the remaining salt and freshly ground black pepper.

• 3 vine-ripened tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch slices

• 1/2 teaspoon sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided

• 1 pound fresh mozzarella, cut into 1/4-inch slices

• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

• Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling

• Balsamic glaze (store-bought), for drizzling

• 1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh basil, plus more whole sprigs to garnish the platter

Drizzle with about a tablespoon of olive oil, followed by the same amount of the balsamic glaze. The glaze is so delicious, you might be tempted to overdo it, but try to use a light hand — a little goes a long way and too much will drown out all of the other fresh flavors. As for the basil, many Caprese salads call for whole basil leaves; I find them a bit too strong unless they are small, but feel free use them if you like. Enjoy!

"Be generous with your olive oil!"

Thank you for reading.