Panzanella - cooking recipe

Ingredients

None None Extra light olive oil, to shallow-fry, plus 2 tbsp extra
4 slices day-old crusty white bread, torn into 3/4 inch pieces
3 small cucumbers, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced on the diagonal
3 medium ripe tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 large red onion, thinly sliced
1/3 cup coarsely torn basil leaves
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Preparation

Pour olive oil to 1 inch depth in a medium skillet. Heat on medium heat (oil is ready when a cube of bread crisps quickly without absorbing oil). Shallow-fry bread, in batches, 1-2 mins or until golden and crisp. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels.
Place bread, cucumber, tomatoes, onion and basil in a large bowl. Drizzle with 2 tbsp oil and vinegar. Season with salt. Toss to coat well.