The Cilento Acquasale is a very simple recipe based on durum wheat biscuits dressed with fresh cherry tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil, salt, and oregano.
From the simplicity of the products used, it is easy to deduce that this recipe is typical of a poor cuisine, made of simple yet extremely genuine things.
Its name comes from the ancient custom of Cilento fishermen, during their outings at sea, to soak the toasted bread directly in sea water, which they would then dress with tomatoes.
The once-poor recipe, with the opulence of modern times, has gradually been enriched with additional ingredients such as mozzarella, olives, tuna, etc.
However, I still prefer the original version, which is decidedly simpler and lighter.
To prepare this dish, the ingredients cannot be quantified with a number but definitely go “by feeling” 😉.
Now take a minute to read the recipe and then… let’s cook and eat!!
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- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very cheap
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Cooking methods: No cooking
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring, Summer
Ingredients
- durum wheat biscuits
- cherry tomatoes
- to taste salt
- to taste dried oregano
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
- to taste basil
Steps
Preparing Cilento acquasale is disarmingly simple, so much so that even a child could easily do it.
The only caution is to soak the durum wheat biscuits just right, as they should be neither too wet nor too dry.
So proceed by wetting the biscuits, only for a few seconds, under a stream of running water, then let them rest for a minute on a plate, giving the water time to spread through the biscuit’s texture, and only after, crumble it with your hands into a bowl.
Meanwhile, wash and dry the cherry tomatoes. Cut them into quarters, collect them in a small bowl and dress them with olive oil, salt, and oregano.
Let everything macerate for five minutes, so the cherry tomatoes can absorb the flavor and release their juice before adding them to the bowl with the soaked biscuits.
Give it a good stir, taste, and if necessary, add more seasoning. The durum wheat biscuits should be well-dressed and flavorful.
Your Cilento acquasale is ready to be served and enjoyed on its own or alongside other dishes 😉.
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Notes
Since Cilento acquasale is a very simple dish prepared with only two ingredients, to make it more attractive and appetizing, you can use tomatoes of various colors, textures, and flavors.
