Caprese Skewers
Cherry tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and basil on picks with balsamic glaze
- 24cherry tomatoes(ripe)
- 24bocconcini(small fresh mozzarella balls)
- 24fresh basil leaves
- 2 tbspextra-virgin olive oil
- flaky sea salt
- black pepper(freshly ground)
- balsamic glaze(for drizzling)
Can be assembled up to 2 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature and add balsamic just before serving.
- 1Drain bocconcini and pat dry
- 2On each skewer or cocktail pick, thread: basil leaf, bocconcini, tomato
- 3Fold basil if leaves are large
- 4Arrange on serving platter
- 5Drizzle with olive oil
- 6Season with flaky salt and freshly ground pepper
- 7Drizzle with balsamic glaze just before serving
Use fresh mozzarella, not low-moisture - the texture is completely different. Choose tomatoes and mozzarella of similar size for visual balance. Balsamic glaze (reduced balsamic) clings better than regular vinegar. Let ingredients come to room temperature for best flavor.
The Caprese salad — tomato, fresh mozzarella, and basil — originated on the island of Capri in the Bay of Naples, with its earliest documented appearance on a menu at the Grand Hotel Quisisana in the 1920s. The three ingredients represent the colors of the Italian flag. Wikipedia confirms the dish gained international attention in the 1950s when King Farouk of Egypt, exiled to Capri after the 1952 coup that ended his reign, reportedly ordered it daily. The skewer format transforms the composed plate into a party-friendly single bite, replacing the need for a knife and fork with a toothpick. Cherry tomatoes (a naturally smaller variety of Solanum lycopersicum) are native to South America and were domesticated in what is now Peru and Ecuador thousands of years before European contact; smaller-fruited tomato varieties arrived in Europe from the Americas in the 16th century. Fresh mozzarella (mozzarella di bufala campana) has been produced in Campania from water buffalo milk since at least the 12th century, documented at the monastery of San Lorenzo in Capua in 1200 CE. Fresh basil (Ocimum basilicum) is native to tropical Asia and was brought to the Mediterranean through ancient trade routes; it has been a defining element of Italian cooking since at least the Renaissance.