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Aqua Sale, fisherman's meal

Nicola Palma, the aromatic herb farmer from Campania, told me about the traditional fisherman's meal, which is simplicity itself and true 'cocina povera': ‘You take dry bread, put it in a colander, put it in the sea, drain it, add tomatoes, oil, oregano and this is a meal. Every family had a dried bread drawer.’
This is similar to Panzanera which is made with basil and cucumber, as well as a Cretan rusk recipe made with 'Dakos' which adds feta and olives.
Nicola noted: ‘Italians and Greeks: one face, one race.’
As I didn't have the sea near me or a fishing boat, I created sea water from the tap. I used some Cretan bread rusks which I had in my pantry, they truly last for years. My last visit was 5 years ago! It's an expandable salad.
Course: Salads, Sides, Starters, Vegetarian sides
Cuisine: Cretan, Italian
Keyword: Aqua Sale, Bread salad, Dakos, Panzanella
Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • 500 ml water
  • 4 tsps sea salt
  • 4 dried bread rusks/any dried bread
  • 6 good quality sweet tomatoes, cut in quarters
  • 75 ml olive oil
  • handful fresh basil or oregano sprigs

Instructions

  • Make the 'sea water' by adding salt to the water. Leave till dissolved.
  • Place the rusks or dried bread in a large bowl and scantily pour the water onto it. You don't want to drown the bread, just add enough to make the bread moisten and become soft. Leave for half an hour, and add more sea water if necessary.
  • Add the tomatoes and oil to the bread. You do not need to add salt but feel free to add the herbs of your choice plus any other ingredients such as lemon juice or cucumber or feta or olives. It's a flexible, endlessly adaptable dish.