Grilled Bruschetta with Fennel Topping
By America's Test KitchenPublished on April 30, 2024
Time
25 minutes
Yield
Serves 6 to 8
Ingredients
BREAD
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar ½ teaspoon table salt ¼ teaspoon pepper 6 (¾-inch-thick) slices rustic sourdough bread 1 garlic clove, peeledFENNEL TOPPING
2 fennel bulbs, 2 teaspoons fronds minced, stalks discarded, bulbs halved and sliced into ½-inch-thick wedges1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling1 teaspoon table salt ¼ teaspoon pepper 4 ounces red seedless grapes, quartered (½ cup)8 ounces goat cheese, softenedBefore You Begin
We prefer to use sourdough bread here for its inherent moisture and chew, but you can use other styles of rustic bread, if desired.
Instructions
- FOR A CHARCOAL GRILL: Open bottom vent completely. Light large chimney starter half filled with charcoal briquettes (3 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour evenly over grill. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent completely. Heat grill until hot, about 5 minutes. Clean and oil cooking grate.FOR A GAS GRILL: Turn all burners to medium-high; cover; and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes. Clean and oil cooking grate.
- Whisk oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper together in small bowl. Brush bread slices evenly on both sides with oil-vinegar mixture (use entire mixture). Place bread on grill and cook, uncovered, until bread is spottily charred and crisp on both sides, 5 to 7 minutes, flipping slices about every 1 minute. Transfer grilled bread to cutting board. Lightly rub 1 side of each bread slice with garlic.
- Toss fennel wedges with oil, salt, and pepper in bowl. Arrange fennel on grill and cook until spottily charred and tender, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer fennel to cutting board, chop into rough ½-inch pieces, and return to now-empty bowl. Add grapes and minced fennel fronds and toss to combine.
- Spread goat cheese over grilled bread (about 1½ tablespoons per slice). Top with grilled fennel mixture and drizzle with extra oil. Serve slices whole, halved, or cut into strips.
for the bread
for the fennel topping
Time
25 minutesYield
Serves 6 to 8Ingredients
BREAD
FENNEL TOPPING
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
BREAD
FENNEL TOPPING
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
BREAD
FENNEL TOPPING
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
For this recipe, we set out to upgrade assembled toasts. To do this, we used a grill as our cooking apparatus and treated the bread as the star. Knowing we would be topping the bread, we wanted to avoid bread with an open crumb structure and holes, so we chose a rustic sourdough loaf for its even crumb structure. We sliced the bread ¾ inch thick and brushed it with a vinaigrette rather than just olive oil to boost savory flavor and brightness. Though the grilled bread is so good that we think it’s worth heating the grill just to make it, we also grilled fennel for the topping. We chopped the grilled fennel and combined it with quartered grapes and chopped fennel fronds. Then we spread goat cheese over the grilled bread and spooned the fennel topping over it. The end result? A delicious appetizer or snack perfect for summer cookouts.
Before You Begin
We prefer to use sourdough bread here for its inherent moisture and chew, but you can use other styles of rustic bread, if desired.
Instructions
- FOR A CHARCOAL GRILL: Open bottom vent completely. Light large chimney starter half filled with charcoal briquettes (3 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour evenly over grill. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent completely. Heat grill until hot, about 5 minutes. Clean and oil cooking grate.FOR A GAS GRILL: Turn all burners to medium-high; cover; and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes. Clean and oil cooking grate.
- Whisk oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper together in small bowl. Brush bread slices evenly on both sides with oil-vinegar mixture (use entire mixture). Place bread on grill and cook, uncovered, until bread is spottily charred and crisp on both sides, 5 to 7 minutes, flipping slices about every 1 minute. Transfer grilled bread to cutting board. Lightly rub 1 side of each bread slice with garlic.
- Toss fennel wedges with oil, salt, and pepper in bowl. Arrange fennel on grill and cook until spottily charred and tender, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer fennel to cutting board, chop into rough ½-inch pieces, and return to now-empty bowl. Add grapes and minced fennel fronds and toss to combine.
- Spread goat cheese over grilled bread (about 1½ tablespoons per slice). Top with grilled fennel mixture and drizzle with extra oil. Serve slices whole, halved, or cut into strips.
for the bread
for the fennel topping
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