When the weather is very hot and the idea of cooking is but a remote universal possibility … it’s a good idea to do something with those large, dry, rock-hard doughnut-shaped breads called ‘frese’ or ‘frise’ or friselle. They are hard because they have been cooked twice, like a biscuit, and they hail from the south of Italy: Naples and Campania, Puglia and Calabria. In the days before refrigeration and easy travelling, sailors would take them along and dip them in seawater to soften them before eating.
And yes, they do need ‘softening’.
And yes, they are synonymous with Summer.
Here is a photo of a packet of frese …
Here, surrounding this magnificent platter, are the jewels in the crown of the frese: tomatoes, olive oil, basil leaves, mozzarella, red onion (this one is a Cipolla di Tropea, the Calabrian onion reknown for its sweetness, and salt.
Pour some water into a bowl and place the frese in it and count to … about 25 or 30. Some people add salt to the water (remember the sailors!).
Bear in mind that even though the frese have been dipped in water, they are not at all soggy.
In this version of a salad using frese, we are breaking them up.
Now season with salt …
Add the chopped tomatoes and their liquid …
Cut the mozzarella …
Add the mozzarella and drizzle some olive oil …
Add the chopped Tropea onion and some basil leaves …
Ready to serve. The photo does not do justice to the amazing taste of this ‘portable’ bread salad. It has to be eaten to be believed.
PS You can make up a salad using any of the following ingredients: burrata cheese, tuna packed in olive oil, mackerel packed in olive oil, anchovy fillets, capers, olives, oregano …
Lovely salad. Didn’t know about frese and now if I find some I know to soak them! Thank you. Could you send some of that hot sun to London please …?
I wish I could!
I need no convincing about this salad, it looks delicious. I am forever running out of bread, I think I should tuck a couple of packets of Frese in the cupboard.