Wood-Roasted Antipasti Platter
This is not your basic antipasti. Serving a beautiful platter of wood-roasted seasonal vegetables, cured meats, hand-crafted cheeses, home-cured olives, and smoke-kissed crusty bread to family and friends as a prelude to dinner is an artful way to honor guests. This is just what chef Chris Bianco does at his restaurant, Pizzeria Bianco, in Phoenix, Arizona. Chris’s wood-fired pizzas are now legendary, but his wood-roasted antipasti platter sings. I hope you will enjoy my version, and create many versions of your own.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 6 as a first course
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Prepare a medium heat fire (350° to 375°F) in a wood-fired oven or cooker, or cool down a previously fired oven to 250°F for slow-roasting overnight.
Step 2
Slice the mushrooms lengthwise, toss in olive oil and salt, and place in a small roasting pan. Cut other vegetables into bite-sized pieces or, if baby vegetables, leave them whole. Toss each type of vegetable in olive oil and salt and place each vegetable in its own small roasting pan. Roast the vegetables in the oven until caramelized and tender.
Step 3
Roast red peppers whole directly on the floor or in the embers of the oven until well blistered, about 10 minutes. Place in a bowl, cover, and let stand for 15 minutes, then peel, seed, and cut into strips.
Step 4
Roast the head of garlic until soft. Cut the shallots in half lengthwise, toss with olive oil, salt, and the sprigs of herbs. Roast in the oven until golden, caramelized, and tender. Warm the olives and the cheese in the wood-fired oven just before serving.
Step 5
Platter up and serve with crusty bread, fresh olive oil, and your favorite wine. Buon appetito!
