Name: Caprese Skewers
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 4 cherry tomatoes; 4 basil leaves; 4 mini mozzarella balls (ideally ciliegine size or bocconcini); Small wooden skewers; balsamic glaze – recipe here; olive oil; parsley & lemon gremolata – recipe here

Question 1

What are they?

Accepted Answer

These are, very simply, a caprese salad on a stick. The caprese salad hails from the island of Capri Italy and has been a classic salad combination for many years. It combines fresh juicy tomatoes, soft mozarella and sweet basil and is often topped with oil and sometimes balsamic vinegar. 

As with much Italian food, it's simplicity doesn't compromise on taste. The flavours are so complementary and fresh and it's often served on its own as a starter or appetizer rather than a side dish. 

You may also notice that the colours are the same as the Italian flag - a fact that I'm sure is not accidental!

Question 2

Can you make them in advance?

Accepted Answer

I recommend making these on the day you are going to serve them, although you can make them a few hours in advance. Once prepared keep them in a sealed tub in the fridge to keep them fresh. If you prepare them any further ahead then you may find that the tomatoes become soggier and that the basil leaves wilt or start to brown. 

If you are going to drizzle with oil or balsamic then save this step until you are serving.

Question 3

What type of mozzarella should I use?

Accepted Answer

You want to find the smaller mozzarella balls for this recipe, rather than buying a large piece and slicing it up. 

The best types to look for in the supermarket are Ciliegine which are around the size of a cherry, or Bocconcini which is slightly bigger. I bet you didn't realise there were so many sizes of mozzarella!

Caprese Skewers

Description

Ingredients

Instructions

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Nutrition