Ingredients

Method

• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 4 T olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 fresh chilli, chopped
• 2 x 400 g cherry tomatoes
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 t sugar
• 1/2 cup fresh basil
• 2 t red wine vinegar
• 1 x 500 g frozen all-butter puff pastry packet, thawed
• 1 free-range egg, beaten
• 400 g buffalo mozzarella, drained
• 4 slices prosciutto
• 2 T dried chilli flakes
• 3 T sea salt

Method

Ingredients

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Gently fry the onion in 3 T olive oil over a low heat until soft. Add the garlic and chilli and fry for a further 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, season to taste and stir. Simmer for 45 minutes.

Add the sugar and ¼ cup basil. Simmer for a further 45 minutes, remove from the heat and stir in the red wine vinegar and check the seasoning.

Carefully slice the pastry into long rectangles and arrange on 2 or 3 baking trays lined with baking paper, leaving space between each slice of pastry. Brush with egg and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until golden and puffed up.

Crush the chilli flakes with the sea salt to combine. Lightly brush each pastry dipper with a little of the remaining olive oil, sprinkle with the chilli salt and cool. Divide the tomato sauce between four small bowls, top with equal amounts of mozzarella and bake until the mozzarella starts to bubble. Place the prosciutto on a separate baking tray and crisp in the oven. Place on top of the tomato sauce and mozzarella.

Garnish with the remaining basil and serve with the pastry dippers.

Cook's note: It’s really worth letting this tomato sauce simmer for two or three hours – the flavours develop beautifully. Enjoy this dish for lunch or bring it out when friends pop round for a beer.

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