2006 was a wonderful year for a lot of reasons, not the least of which was the discovery of Chef John Eisenhart's Ligurian Bread Salad. It's a wonderful dish that's plump with flavors and textures. For us, it's made most noteworthy by its use of wild mushrooms, whether they be the porcini mentioned in the list of ingredients or an alternative mushroom such as portobello or shiitake.
John Eisenhart is Executive Chef of Pazzo, a highly regarded Italian eatery in the heart of downtown Portland. Marked by an exhibition kitchen and wood-burning stone pizza, Pazzo serves up Northern Italian classics that feature Pacific Northwest ingredients.
"Sophisticated yet warm and comfortable" is one way to describe Pazzo's atmosphere. Apart from the food and the wonderful aromas that result, people appreciate the congenial service and the PazzoBar with its signature cocktails and black and white cinema on the big screen. A visit to Pazzo is invariably memorable.
2006 was the year that the Oregonian newspaper printed Chef Eisenhart's Ligurian Bread Salad recipe. We love the dish not only for its generous use of wild mushrooms but also for its ability to tease and tantalize as we change the type of mushroom and the herbs that are incorporated into the salad.
The recipe continues to be prominently featured on our list of fungal favorites. Chef Eisenhart agrees that it's one of his favorites, too!
Chef John Eisenhart.
Ligurian Bread Salad
6-8 slices ciabatta
About 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt to taste
6 medium to large porcini mushrooms, wiped of sand and chopped into bite-sized chunks
1 small shallot, thinly sliced
1/2 lemon, juiced
8 small to medium radishes, diced
3/4 cup fresh herbs, such as fennel fronds, chervil, chive flowers and/or basil, washed, torn apart and loosely packed
Freshly ground pepper to taste
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place the ciabatta slices on a cookie sheet, drizzle with olive oil (approximately 1/8 to 1/4 cup) and sprinkle with salt. Place sheet in oven until slices are lightly toasted but not brittle, approximately 6-8 minutes. Remove ciabatta slices from sheet and set aside to cool.
- Add 1/4 cup olive oil to a wide saute pan on medium-high heat. When the oil begins to smoke, add the porcini in one layer. Adjust the heat to medium and saute, turning, until evenly brown, approximately 3-5 minutes. (If you are using shiitake or portobello mushrooms, you may need to add additional olive oil to prevent sticking; cooking time may be as long as 8-10 minutes.)
- Place the browned porcini in a large salad bowl. Add the shallot. Cover with plastic wrap and allow mushrooms to cool to lukewarm.
- When ready to serve, crumble the ciabatta into bite-sized pieces into the bowl. Add the lemon juice, radishes and herbs. Season to taste with salt, pepper and up to 1/4 cup additional olive oil if desired. Toss and serve.