Week 47: Garlic Bread

The Recipe
1 loaf ciabatta bread, horizontally cut in half (about 300g)
3 tablespoons salted butter (soft)
2 cloves garlic, minced
250g fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced
1dl balsamic vinegar
2 medium tomatoes, sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
chopped fresh basil

Preheat the oven to 200C. Place both sides of the bread on a large baking sheet with the cut side up.

In a small bowl, combine butter and garlic and spread evenly on bread halves. Place the mozzarella cheese slices on top of the bread. Bake the bread for 12-15 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Meanwhile make the balsamic reduction. Place the balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan. Bring the vinegar to a boil, decrease the heat to low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is reduced by about half - about 5-7 minutes.

Remove the bread from oven. Top the bread with tomato slices and put back in the oven for 1-2 minutes, just to soften the tomatoes a bit. Season with salt and pepper, add the fresh basil and drizzle with balsamic reduction. Cut into slices and serve.

The Verdict
DH didn't care for the balsamic reduction, so I served that on the side, and could probably have made do with half (but that would have made it awfully difficult to reduce!). I liked it though :)

But otherwise, what's not to like? Good bread, yummy garlic butter, and the lovely mix that is mozzarella, tomatoes and basil. It was VERY garlicky, so you'd want to be aware of your plans for the rest of the day, but it tasted delicious :)