Get Antoni Porowski's 'Secret' Strawberry Bruschetta Recipe — That He Learned from Ted Allen

"Since adding the berry for the first time, I haven't been able to make them without it," says the Queer Eye cooking expert

Antoni Porowski learned a lot from his predecessor — including his spin on this classic summer appetizer.

Ted Allen served as the food and wine expert on Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, and he's passed his secret bruschetta ingredient down to Porowski, the food and wine expert on its Netflix reboot, Queer Eye.

"Ted Allen taught me a lot of things, but one of the most important, arguably, was that strawberries belong on a bruschetta," says Porowski, 36, who's teaming up with the Verizon Visa Card to help customers get rewards back on groceries and delivery. "Since adding the berry for the first time, I haven't been able to make them without it."

Antoni Porowski
Antoni Porowski. Verizon

Antoni Porowski's Bruschetta with Strawberries

1/2 - 3/4 Bunch fresh basil, torn into small pieces

2-3 Medium heirloom tomatoes, diced*

1 package ripe strawberries, diced*

*tomatoes and strawberries should be diced same size

Fresh baguette, sliced about 1/2" thick on the bias

1-3 cloves garlic, peeled

1/2 log regular goat's cheese

Good Balsamic Vinegar

Good Extra Virgin Olive oil

Fresh cracked pepper

Finishing or Kosher salt

Parmigiano Reggiano for shaving (optional)

Directions

1. Heat a grill pan (or nonstick pan) over medium-high heat.

2. Dice strawberries and tomatoes into equal-sized cubes. Tear fresh basil and add to mixture. Add a small drizzle each of olive oil and balsamic vinegar and add fresh cracked pepper to taste. Toss and set aside.

3. Brush olive oil onto both sides of baguette slices (why not!). If you don't have a brush, you can pour some olive oil into a dish and very lightly dip each side of the bread to cover it. Place slices on grill pan and toast until dark char marks appear, about 2-3 minutes on each side. If you don’t have a grill pan, you can use a broiler, regular pan, toaster or even barbecue.

4. Right before assembling the bruschetta, add salt to taste to your strawberry and tomato mixture. Salting too early will cause the tomatoes to release moisture prematurely.

5. To assemble, spread goat cheese on toasted bread and top with a generous layer of the strawberry and tomato mixture. Grate the Parmigiano Reggiano directly on top and serve.

Serves: 6

Total time: 10 minutes

Active time: 10 minutes

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