Name: Essence of tomatoes
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 2 ½kg cherry vine-ripened tomato roughly chopped; 1 stick celery finely chopped; 1 small shallot finely chopped; half fennel bulb, finely chopped; 1 small garlic clove finely chopped; 2 sprigs thyme roughly chopped; 4 leaves tarragon roughly chopped; handful basil leaves, roughly chopped; 1 tbsp golden caster sugar; 2 pinches cayenne pepper; 5 drops Worcestershire sauce; 3 drops Tabasco sauce; 4 basil leaves, finely sliced, plus 4 small sprigs; 6 large plum vine tomatoes skinned, seeded and finely diced; good-quality extra-virgin olive oil

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Essence of tomatoes

Essence of tomatoes

Raymond Blanc

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Serves 4

Easy

Total time: 50 mins

Ready in 40 - 50 mins

A star rating of 4.8 out of 5.5 ratingsRate

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Make Raymond Blanc's flavoursome tomato soup up to 1 day ahead, and keep chilled

Healthy

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Ingredients

Nutrition

Units:

MetricUS

2 ½kg cherry vine-ripened tomato

roughly chopped
1 stick celery

finely chopped
1 small shallot

finely chopped
half fennel

bulb, finely chopped
1 small garlic clove

finely chopped
2 sprigs thyme

roughly chopped
4 leaves tarragon

roughly chopped
handful basil

leaves, roughly chopped
1 tbsp golden caster sugar
2 pinches cayenne pepper
5 drops Worcestershire sauce
3 drops Tabasco sauce

To serve

4 basil

leaves, finely sliced, plus 4 small sprigs
6 large plum vine tomatoes

skinned, seeded and finely diced
good-quality extra-virgin olive oil

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Nutrition: per serving

kcal141
fat3g
saturates0g
carbs25g
sugars4g
fibre7g
protein6g
salt0.3g

low

Method

step 1

In a large bowl mix all the ingredients together with 1 tbsp sea salt, cover with cling film and marinate for 6 hrs. Then, in a food processor, pulse the tomato mix in batches until roughly chopped – don’t over-chop them to a mush.
step 2

Place three layers of muslin cloth, or a new kitchen cloth, over a large bowl and pour the mix into the cloth. Tie up with string and hang in a cold place for at least 15 mins over the bowl to collect the tomato essence. Set aside the pulp. Taste and correct the seasoning, if necessary, then cool in the fridge.
step 3

To serve, spoon a quarter of the diced tomato into the centre of four bowls. Carefully pour the chilled tomato essence around the tomato towers and garnish with the basil and a small drizzling of olive oil.

Recipe from Good Food magazine, June 2005

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A star rating of 4.8 out of 5.5 ratings

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