Acquasale: the original Apulian recipe
Acquasale is a typical Apulian recipe, also popular in Calabria and Basilicata. It's a humble peasant dish, born from the need to reuse leftover bread and transform it into a fresh, flavorful, and nutritious dish.
- Friselle, 2
- Cherry tomatoes, 200 gr
- Yellow datterini tomatoes, 100 gr
- carousels, 2
- Celery, 1 stalk (with leaves)
- Red pepper, 1
- Red onion, 1
- Desalted capers, 1 tablespoon
- Garlic, 1/2 clove
- Water, 150 ml
- Extra virgin olive oil, 100 ml
- Sale, q.b.
- dried oregano, to taste
- To prepare the acquasale, first cut the yellow and red cherry tomatoes into wedges and collect them in a large bowl (1).
- Clean the pepper, remove the seeds and the white filaments inside and cut it into small pieces (2).
- Transfer the pepper into the container with the cherry tomatoes together with the celery stalk cut into rounds (3) and the chopped leaves.
- Peel the carrots, cut them into pieces and add them to the rest of the vegetables (4).
- Continue with the thinly sliced red onion and minced garlic (5).
- Finish with the desalted capers (6), mix briefly and set aside.
- Prepare the dressing: pour the extra virgin olive oil and the water required by the recipe into a small bowl (7).
- Add salt, flavour with a pinch of dried oregano and mix everything well (8).
- Add the chopped friselle (9).
- Mix carefully and leave them to flavour for a few minutes in the prepared emulsion (10).
- Then transfer the friselle together with the dressing into the bowl with the rest of the ingredients (11).
- Mix well (12).
- Distribute the acquasale on a serving dish (13), bring to the table and serve.
Our Tamara opted for a mix of yellow and red cherry tomatoes, bell pepper, caroselli, celery, onion, and desalted capers, all enriched with chopped Apulian friselle, previously left to flavor with an emulsion based on water, extra virgin olive oil, salt, and dried oregano.
The result will be a tasty and colorful panzanella, to be served as an appetizer or a main dish accompanied by hard-boiled eggs, cured meats, soft and mature cheeses, tuna fillets in oil, or other favorite ingredient.
Learn how to make acquasale by following Tamara Mitrangolo's step-by-step explanations and valuable tips. If you love traditional Apulian dishes, also try Taranto-style mussels and tiella barese.
How to prepare salt water
Clean the pepper, remove the seeds and the white filaments inside and cut it into pieces 2.
Transfer the pepper to the bowl with the cherry tomatoes along with the celery stalk cut into rounds 3 and the chopped leaves.
Finish with the 6 desalted capers, mix briefly and set aside.
Prepare the dressing: pour the extra virgin olive oil and the water called for in recipe 7 into a small bowl.
Add salt to taste, season with a pinch of dried oregano and mix everything well. 8.
Mix carefully and let them flavour for a few minutes in the prepared emulsion 10.
Spread the acquasale on a serving dish 13, bring to the table and serve.
