Bruschetta and Crostini (w/ Two Toppings)

Bruschetta and Crostini (w/ Two Toppings)

Bruschetta and Crostini are classic Italian appetizers or finger foods made with toasted bread and toppings. We'll show you how to make tomato bruschetta and chicken liver pate crostini, which are two popular options that make great appetizers for get-togethers.

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 20

Total Time 35

Servings

Author Alba Luna Meyer

Ingredients

Rustic/crusty bread, e.g. sourdough, baguette, or similar

For The Tomato Bruschetta

1 garlic clove
2 large tomatoes
1 bunch fresh basil
2-3 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, more for drizzling
salt, to taste

For The Chicken Liver Crostini

½ white or yellow onion
olive oil, for frying (plus more for drizzling if needed)
2 anchovies
3.5 ounces chicken liver, fresh
½ cup white wine

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Start by slicing the bread (slightly thicker for the bruschetta and thinner for the crostini if you want to be more authentic). Avoid cutting them too thin since they need to hold the toppings.
Toast the bread in a grill pan over medium-low heat until golden and crisp on both sides. Set aside.

Tomato Bruschetta

Cut the garlic clove in half (don't peel). Once the bread is toasted and while it is still hot, rub the cut side of the garlic clove over the toasted bread for the tomato bruschetta and drizzle with olive oil.
Rinse and dry the tomatoes and basil. Then dice the tomatoes into small pieces with the knife and place them in a bowl. Tear the basil leaves into smaller pieces with your hands and add them to the bowl.
Add the extra virgin olive oil and salt, then mix well. Let the mixture rest while you prepare the other topping (at least 10 minutes).
When ready to serve, spoon the tomato mixture onto the toasted bread, including a little of the juices, and serve immediately.

Chicken Liver Pate Crostini

Finely dice the onion.
Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a frying pan over low heat. Add the anchovies and cook, breaking them up with a wooden spoon or spatula until they dissolve into the oil.
Add the diced onion and sauté until golden and fragrant.
Add the chicken livers and cook until browned on all sides. You can break the chicken livers into smaller chunks as they cook. Add the white wine and continue cooking until the wine has mostly evaporated and the chicken livers are fully cooked through.
Transfer the mixture to a food processor or a container with high sides to blend with an immersion blender. Process until mostly smooth (I like to leave it a bit chunky, not perfectly smooth).
If the mixture seems too thick or dry, add a drizzle of olive oil and a splash of water.
Spread the chicken liver mixture onto the toasted bread and garnish with fresh chopped chives (optional). Serve immediately.

Notes

I like to use sourdough bread for the flavor and consistency, but any rustic bread will do. Baguette also works. The key is to avoid soft bread like sandwich bread.
Bruschetta is usually bigger and cut thicker than crostini. However, to make it easier, you can cut the bread into similar sizes (just don't cut it too thin for the tomato topping, or it may get soggy).
The bread can be toasted in different ways. You can use a grill pan on the stove, toast the bread in the oven, use a toaster, or even an air fryer. The goal is to have evenly toasted bread that is crispy and golden brown, but not burned.
If you don’t want to rub the bread with garlic, you can add a little finely diced red onion to the tomato mixture instead. Or you can omit both.
Use a good quality extra virgin olive oil. If you don’t have extra virgin olive oil, try to use a good quality refined olive oil. Avoid any other oil.

Nutrition

This nutritional information has been estimated by an online nutrition calculator. It should only be seen as a rough calculation and not a replacement for professional dietary advice.