Sunday Feast № 27 | Take on Caprese Sandwich

Caprese. Always a salad. Insalata Caprese. The foundation comprises mozzarella, tomatoes, basil, and olive oil, then you play. I like a side of good bread to mop up the juices, whatever they may be, so the Charred Caprese Sandwich I found in Bon Appétit magazine June 2016 was absolutely up my alley - insalata Caprese on bread. Perfecto! Almost ...    I did not alter this one ... much ... well I made a "mistake" of not using fresh mozzarella like I know better. Kind of dumb of me really, since I have access to fresh white goodness at a reasonable price. I was lazy and used a somewhat solid one ... that I picked up at some point off the local supermarket shelf. Oh fellow buongustaio, please do not judge. I don't know how and when, but the solid stuff ended in my fridge, and I am lazy and was too hungry to do the walk to get something better, so there it was. However, when it is your turn, please be better foodie than me and use the lovely semi-solid mozzarella that floats in brine.

½ cup mayonnaise 2 tbsp Dijon mustard 1 tsp lemon juice large shallot thinly sliced garlic clove grated 3 tbsp red wine vinegar baguette olive oil 3 cups cherry tomatoes handful of basil and parsley torn lemon zest finely grated ~4 oz mozzarella salt and pepper

Mix mayonnaise, mustard and lemon juice in a small bowl, and season with salt. Combine shallot, garlic, red wine vinegar in another bowl, and season with salt. Let sit for 10 min. Split a baguette in half lengthwise, brush cut sides with olive oil and grill over medium high heat. Transfer to plate and season with salt. Heat a large skillet . Drizzle cherry tomatoes with some olive oil and toss to coat. Grill them in the skillet, shaking often, until the tomatoes are blistered, about 3-5 min. Mix into shallot mixture. Let cool slightly. Add basil and parsley and a smidgen of lemon zest and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Spread grilled baguette with mayonnaise mixture. Top with torn mozzarella and tomato salad.