Fried Caper Panzanella

Today’s recipe is pretty outrageous y’all. Fried Caper Panzanella. It’s my spin on the classic Panzanella but with some special Mississippi Vegan magic. The most important takeaway from this recipe (aside from the fact you’ll want to make it again and again) is the fried capers. Oh my goodness, the fried capers. If you’ve never had them, you are very welcome indeed. What happens to be green, unopened flower buds, capers pack a big punch of flavor. They are bright and lemony with some olive notes. They are salty and briny. When fried- they become crispy and even more delightful than they already are!

DRESSING OVERVIEW FOR THE FRIED CAPER PANZANELLA

For the dressing, we’re sizzling up some vegan butter with fresh oregano, fresh thyme, crushed red pepper flakes, freshly cracked black pepper, and lots of garlic and shallots. Infuse the butter with all of this gorgeous flavor. Which adds a nice richness to the tomatoes. Zippy red wine vinegar takes it over the top by offering a big punch of acidity.

TOASTING THE BREAD

Now, in the bread department, I demand that you use fluffy focaccia bread, like my Sourdough Focaccia, that’s sliced thin. Traditionally, this recipe contains stale bread that’s cubed. And that’s cool! But we’re not doing that this go-round booger. I want the bread to be chewy while also being crispy and golden brown. The other goal is to create the same shape as the sliced tomatoes. (When taking a bite, you’ll understand why I’m pushing for this!) So focaccia bread sliced thin it is. We’ll pan-fry it in the leftover olive oil that we fried the capers in. When ready to serve, a glorious showering of crispy fried capers is the ultimate chef’s kiss. There you have it! My Fried Caper Panzanella.

RECIPE TIPS & TRICKS

This is the kind of salad that comes together very quickly and needs to be enjoyed immediately, as the bread and the capers can get soggy. Additionally, if you are wanting to make this in advance, simply prep all of the ingredients and arrange them beautifully on the counter. When you are ready to make it, it comes together in a flash. Wait until just before taking your first bite to add the capers as you want them crispy- trust!

For the focaccia, try to find a nice beautiful loaf. If you can find a sourdough one, even better. To make things easier for slicing, wrap the bread in a kitchen towel and refrigerate it for a few hours. This will help you to easily cut thin pieces.

When cutting the tomatoes and bread, try making them about the same size. This doesn’t have to be absolutely perfect- so please relax. Just think about piercing a fork into a piece of bread AND tomato at the same time and taking a bite easily. That’s what you’re aiming for.

For added texture, I like to use this flaky salt.

I HOPE YOU ENJOY THIS FRIED CAPER PANZANELLA!

Thank you for joining me here today! I hope that you love this recipe as much as I do. If you do try this recipe, please leave a comment and rating below. It greatly helps the success of my site and makes me oh so happy to read. Happy cooking, y’all.

–Timothy

4.97 from 27 reviews

Fried Caper Panzanella

Servings: 4

Prep Time: 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 10 minutes mins

Author: Timothy Pakron

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Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• ½ cup capers, drained and patted dry
• 7 oz sourdough focaccia bread, thinly sliced into 2-inch pieces, ½” thick
• 3 heaping tablespoons vegan butter
• 1 large shallot, sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, less if you don’t like spicy!
• 1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar
• Freshly cracked black pepper + salt, to taste
• 2 pounds heirloom tomatoes, sliced into 2-inch pieces, ½” thick

Instructions 

• In a large skillet, add 3 tablespoons of olive oil and bring to medium-high heat. Once hot, throw in the capers and cook for 6-8 minutes, stirring every so often, until crispy. Taste one to make sure they are crispy and then remove from the skillet. Set them aside to garnish at the very end.
• Next, place sliced bread in the same skillet with leftover oil and pan-fry until golden brown on both sides, about 3 minutes on each side. Drizzle in a little bit more oil, if needed. You want the slices to get toasty brown but still remain somewhat chewy on the inside. Once done, add the bread to a beautiful large salad bowl and set aside.
• For the dressing, in a separate small pan, add the butter and bring to medium-high heat. Throw in the shallots, garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, oregano leaves, thyme leaves, and a sprinkling of salt and pepper. Bring to a sizzle and cook for a few minutes until the shallots and garlic are tender and the oregano leaves are crisped and curled. Remove from heat and set aside.
• Time to assemble! Add the sliced tomatoes to the large salad bowl with bread and gently toss. Add a few splashes of red wine vinegar (about 1 tablespoon). Using a spoon, spread the dressing over the bread and tomatoes and then pour every last drop out. Gently toss again. Right before serving, sprinkle the fried capers over the top and a bit of flaky salt, to taste. Eat immediately.

Nutrition Information Nutrition Information

Calories: 281kcal, Carbohydrates: 37g, Protein: 8g, Fat: 12g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 8g, Trans Fat: 0.003g, Sodium: 865mg, Potassium: 598mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 7g, Vitamin A: 2180IU, Vitamin C: 36mg, Calcium: 47mg, Iron: 3mg