Poached Mozzarella, Prosciutto, and Tomato Crostini Recipe

"Basically, this is a play on the classic Caprese Salad. And, I can't take credit for this recipe. This was a recipe a fellow colleague made for me a couple of years ago and I absolutely loved it. He admitted, it was a 'Southern Living' Recipe, but he put his own twist on it. But, since I first had it, I have never made it - until just recently. With all my tomatoes coming in by the dozens (tomato season in my garden), I thought this would be fun to try. It was just as good as the first time I made it. Using fresh ingredients for this is really the key. Fresh mozzarella, herbs and tomatoes are really important - don't take the easy way out on this."

Step by Step Method

Step 1

Bread ... Cut the bread on an angle into 1/2" thick slices. Broil until you get a nice golden brown color on each side. You want a nice crunch to the bread. I find French bread works much better than a baguette for this recipe. Set off to the side while you make the sauce.

Step 2

Sauce ... Add the olive oil to a medium pan and bring to medium heat. Add in the garlic, onion and red pepper flakes and saute until tender; about 3-4 minutes. Then, deglaze with the wine and simmer on medium to medium low until most of the liquid has evaporated.

Step 3

Next, add in the tomatoes, broth and vinegar; and continue to simmer another 15-25 minutes until the tomatoes are broken down and the sauce has thickened a bit.

Step 4

Topping ... Toss the olives with the herbs and a squeeze of lemon juice; season with salt and pepper. This is just a light topping.

Step 5

Cheese ... Add the cheese slices to the sauce and simmer on medium low until the cheese is gooey and soft 2-3 minutes. Make sure to add the cheese slices a bit apart so they don't melt together. You want them soft; but not melted.

Step 6

Serve ... Take the prosciutto out so it can come to room temp; you don't want it ice cold. Then, add the toasted bread (I use 1-2 slices depending on the size) to a plate and top with two slices of the prosciutto, one slice of the poached cheese and make sure to get plenty of the sauce. Finish with the olive and herb salad. Now, that is dinner - ENJOY! Serve with a side salad or cup of soup for a nice light dinner.