I think it's pretty clear that I'm a girl who enjoys food. Ergo, I love brunch. It's a smorgasbord of exciting and taboo food combinations: pancakes with your pasta, salmon with your cereal, and eggs with your ice cream sundae! (Don't even get me started on the All-You-Can-Eat variety.) Brunch incorporates all foods suitable to eat before 5 pm, and it's the perfect solution for someone who doesn't like breakfast.
I tend to opt for the savory brunch dishes but always crave a little bit of the sweet; this sandwich gives you both. A few weekends ago I discovered this fabulous dish while eating brunch at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC. I was in the city with my family celebrating my mother's 50th birthday, and it was the perfect last meal before our separate departures.
Fresh Mozzarella Prosciutto Ciabatta with Fig Preserve
Serves: 2 Prep: 10 minutes Total: 20 minutes
Ingredients
1/4 pound prosciutto
1/2 loaf fresh garlic and herb ciabatta
3 ounces fresh mozzarella
2 tbs fig preserve
1 cup arugula
3 tbs lemon juice
3 tbs olive oil
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp coarse ground pepper
Directions
Preheat oven to 225. Cut the ciabatta loaf horizontally into two roll-sized pieces, then again through the middle so you have two tops and two bottoms. Lay the ciabatta slices face up on a baking sheet and place in the oven until warm, about 5 minutes.
In the meantime, slice the mozzarella into thin cuts. Remove the bread from the oven and spread each slice with half a tablespoon of fig preserve. Lay the prosciutto on the bottom slices, and place the mozzarella on top of the prosciutto. Set in the oven open faced until mozzarella melts, about 10 minutes. Serve immediately with arugula salad.
Arugula salad - Combine lemon juice, olive oil, sea salt and coarse ground pepper in a small bowl and whisk until the oil and juice are completely incorporated. Pour over arugula and toss well before serving.
