This Aeolian summer salad has all the flavors of the Mediterranean. Juicy fresh tomatoes, salty Castelvetrano olives, plump sugarello fish fillets, briny caper leaves, sweet Zibibbo raisins, and floral oregano come alive with a simple balsamic dressing.
Pantelleria oregano and zibibbo raisins are a magical combination! Their aroma will transport you to the Aeolian islands, just off the northeastern coast of Sicily. That’s exactly where the Testa family goes fishing for all the local sugarello that they preserve in extra virgin olive oil. One of the stars of this un-recipe, for sure.
Ingredients
SERVES: 4 people
TIME: 15 minutes
- Balsamic saba 6, 2 tbsp
- Extra virgin olive oil, 4 tbsp
- Fine sea salt, to taste
- Fresh ground black pepper, to taste
- Medium tomatoes, about 10, sliced into rounds
- Caper leaves, about 12, cut into fourths
- Castelvetrano olives, about 12-16
- Tropea onion, 1/2 finely sliced (about 30g / 1/3 cup) *substitute with red spring onion or shallots if you can’t find Tropea onion
- Sugarello Sott’olio, 1/2 jar (about 145g / 5 oz)
- Zibibbo raisins, 30g / 1/4 cup
- Dried Oregano, 1 tsp
- Fresh basil leaves, about 10, torn
Preparation
- Make the dressing. Whisk the balsamic saba 6 and extra virgin olive oil together in a small bowl (or combine in a jar and shake!). Taste, season with salt and pepper, and set aside.
- To assemble the salad, arrange the tomato slices on a serving platter. Evenly scatter the remaining ingredients on top of the tomatoes. Drizzle the vinaigrette over everything and season with additional salt and pepper if desired. Let the salad rest a few minutes before serving.
