Pane Carasau bread baskets: four variations

1st Version.
Vegetable Medley

Ingredients

Half a carrot
Half an aubergine
Half an onion
Half a courgette
3 sheets of Pane Carasau
Basil
Oregano
Extra-virgin olive oil
Salt, to taste

Process

To make the filling: clean and dry the vegetables then slice off the ends and cut into small cubes, keeping the vegetables separate. Drizzle some extra-virgin olive oil into a pan and sauté the onion for a few minutes before adding the aubergine. Cook for a further five minutes. Add the diced carrot and courgette and finish cooking, taking care not to overcook the vegetables, which should retain some crispness. Adjust the seasoning, adding salt if required and a pinch of oregano, and mix well. Remove from the heat.

To make the basket: moisten the pane carasau under running water and lay out on a flat plate for a few minutes to soften. Place the sheet of pane carasau over a bowl and press down gently so it sticks to the sides. Bake in the oven at 180° for about 10 minutes, until well toasted. Remove the bread basket from the bowl and leave to cool. To serve, spoon the filling into the basket and garnish with fresh basil leaves.

2nd Version:
Prupedda and Black Olives

Ingredients

Prupedda (a traditional sardinian preparation of coarsely minced, seasoned pork)
Black olives
Oil
Salt

Process

To make the filling: Brown the prupedda in a pan with a little oil. While it is cooking, cut the olives into quarters. When the prupedda is cooked through, mix in the olives and take off the heat.

To make the basket: moisten the pane carasau under running water and lay out on a flat plate for a few minutes to soften. Place the sheet of pane carasau over a bowl and press down gently so it sticks to the sides. Heat in the oven at 180° for about 10 minutes, until well toasted. Remove the bread basket from the bowl and leave to cool. To serve, spoon the filling into the basket.

3rd Version:
Cream cheese and mint

Ingredients

30 g cream cheese
Mint, to taste

Process

For the filling: slice the leaves of mint into thin strips and mix with cream cheese in a bowl.

To make the basket: moisten the pane carasau under running water and lay out on a flat plate for a few minutes to soften. Place the sheet of pane carasau over a bowl and press down gently so it sticks to the sides. Bake in the oven at 180° for about 10 minutes, until well toasted. Remove the bread basket from the bowl and leave to cool.

To serve, use two spoons to form quenelles of the cream cheese filling and serve in the bread basket.

4th Version:
Rocket and prosciutto

Ingredients

Pane carasau
Rocket
Sliced prosciutto crudo

Process

To make the basket: moisten the pane carasau under running water and lay out on a flat plate for a few minutes to soften. Place the sheet of pane carasau over a bowl and press down gently so it sticks to the sides. Bake in the oven at 180° for about 10 minutes, until well toasted. Remove the bread basket from the bowl and leave to cool.

Fill the basket with the washed rocket leaves and two rolled-up slices of prosciutto.