Pumpkin Seed Bread Salad

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Pumpkin Seed Bread Salad

 

1, 1 1/2-pound loaf crusty country Italian bread, crust removed

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

salt and freshly ground pepper

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

4 medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced

8 scallions, thinly sliced

4 small celery ribs, thinly sliced

3/4 cup salted shelled pumpkin seeds, lightly toasted

1 cup coarsely chopped celery leaves

1/4 cup medium-dry sherry

 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Slice the bread 1 inch thick. Using your

fingers, pull the bread into coarse shreds. Spread the shreds of bread on 2

large, rimmed baking sheets. Drizzle with the olive oil and season with salt and

pepper. Toss the bread to coat thoroughly with the olive oil. Bake the bread on

the upper and lower oven racks for about 20 minutes, shifting the baking sheets

between racks halfway through, or until the shreds are golden brown and lightly

crisp. Let the toasted bread cool.

Melt the butter in a medium skillet. Add the sliced garlic and cook over

moderately low heat, stirring once or twice, until fragrant and golden brown,

about 3 minutes. Add the sliced scallions and sliced celery ribs and cook over

moderately low heat, stirring once or twice, until the scallions are softened

but the sliced celery is still slightly crisp, about 6 minutes.

Just before serving the bread salad, transfer the toasted bread to a very large

bowl. Add the toasted pumpkin seeds and the chopped celery leaves. Reheat the

scallion mixture over moderately high heat until sizzling. Stir in the sherry

and simmer for 30 seconds. Scrape the scallion mixture over the toasted bread in

the bowl and toss until thoroughly combined. Season with salt and pepper and

serve at once.

Makes 12 servings,

 

 

 

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