Pomodori in piedi

[spacedlaw]

Standing tomatoes if you take this too literally.

In fact, it is just like Panna Cotta, except made with tomatoes instead of milk and cream.
I could leave it at that but it actually can be a little more elaborate than this.

 

I started this recipe in Holland, where tomatoes are gorgeous and mostly tasteless.

So I invented to cut my tomatoes in half, take the seed and watery parts out, sprinkle them with salt and a drizzle of oil and then slow dry the lot in the oven at very low temperature (100C for 4 hours).

It concentrates their taste in a magical way.

This done, I peel them (the skin gets off easily) and purée them with a staff mixer, adding a spoonful of olive oil, salt and pepper. Measure what you have and add some gelatine.

I use 10 g of powdered gelatine per every 500 ml of liquid/mass I need jellified.

I had roughly 500 ml tomato paste so used only 10g of gelatine, dissolved in a little warm tomato juice. I stirred the whole lot again and added some finely chopped basil.

I then lined a dish with film and folded in the paste. But you can use a jelly mould or even use individual moulds as well as portion this in small glasses for a posher looking dish.

I prepared this on Sunday for a Monday night dinner. In any case you should leave the thing to cool 1 to 2 hours at least.

I find it best to take it out about 30 minutes before eating time (too much cold kills the taste). I sliced it since I was using a large mould and served two slices per person over a bed of rucola, with a drizzle of a favourite olive oil.

 

Dead easy.

Very good.

Impressive.

 

The way I like it…