There is almost nothing better than getting home from a night out and having a late night supper to finish off the evening. A little amuse bouche; some freshly shucked oysters, foie gras on some toast or something quickly whipped up in your kitchen to have with a cheeky glass of champagne.
This dish is the perfect late night snack, with the tomato sugo complimenting the tangy sweetness of the grilled chevre perfectly. A sprinkle of sea salt & torn basil leaves add the final touch to this gloriously simple dish.
Now, as much as late night suppers appeal to the romantic in me, my late nights consist of me rushing the babysitter out the door and crawling into bed – usually exhausted. BUT when the time comes, I will certainly remember this. In the meantime it will have to do for lunch – and delicious one indeed!
Ingredients
300 grams fresh chèvre (goats cheese), sliced into four rounds
200 grams pide, cut into 1 ” thick pieces
50 mls extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
6 large basil leaves, torn
Sugo
50 ml extra-virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, bruised
800 grams canned whole peeled Italian tomatoes
1 teaspoon white sugar
To make the sugo, heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat, add garlic and fry until golden (3-4 minutes), then add tomatoes and simmer on a low-medium heat until thickened (20 minutes). Add sugar, season to taste, transfer to a blender, blend until smooth and set aside. This should make around 200mls.
Preheat oven to 180c/360f. Divide sugo among four 12cm-diameter shallow ovenproof dishes, place a round of chèvre in the centre of each dish and bake until cheese starts to look slightly melted ( around 10 minutes).
Meanwhile, preheat grill to high heat. Brush pide with oil and season with sea salt, then grill just one side until golden (3-4 minutes).
Serve chèvre scattered with basil, drizzled with olive oil and scattered with a pinch of sea salt, with toasted pide to the side.
Notes: a glass of champagne is usually my late night choice but this works incredible well with a Sauvignon Blanc.
Source: adapted from The Stokehouse, Melbourne VIC
© 2012, Michelle. All rights reserved.
