Tomato “Tartare”

🎄🍅TOMATO TARTARE WITH MOZZARELLA DI BUFFALA🍅🎄

Or just a new way to make a caprese? Anyway it’s the starter on my Christmas menu! It’s fresh, tangy and that creamy mozzarella… yum- oh and make it all fancy looking with a parmesan crispy. Easy to make ahead and assemble right before serving.

INGREDIENTS (serves 2 - can easily be multiplied)
- 5 tomatoes (around 2,5 pp)
- 1 mozzarella di bufala (1/2 per person pp)
- 50g grated parmezaan
- 1 shallot
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 tsp mustard
- pinch of sugar
- dried thyme (or oregano/rosemary)
- 2 tsp capers
- olive oil, vinegar, balsamico, salt, pepper

1. Set the oven to 210. On a baking tray with baking paper add your tomatoes whole and cover them in olive oil (use your hands). Add to the oven for about 15-17 minutes until the skin has bursted and it starts to brown in some parts. Take from the oven and leave to cool.
2. In the meantime let’s make a the vinaigrette. Take a bowl or jam jar and add some finely chopped shallot, grated garlic, 3 tbsp olive oil, 2 tsbp vinegar (not the balsamic one) and the mustard. Season with sugar, salt and pepper and give it a good mix/shake. Leave in the fridge until ready to serve.
3. Chop tomatoes into cubes and add to a bowl. You will see there is a lot of juice coming out - out in a sieve and let some juices run out. Don’t push on the tomatoes or they will become pulp. Return to the bowl, add a splash of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, peper, and the capers + a pinch of thyme. Pop the fridge to get cold (like a real tartare).
4. In the meantime, let's make the parmesan crispies. Set oven to 180. Add a heap of parmesan to a baking tray with baking paper, you can make circular shapes or a long rectangle, play around! Pop in the oven! This will only take a few minutes so keep an eye on them until they are browning at the edges. Let them cool to get extra crispy!
5. Time to assemble! Check your tomatoes, if a lot of juice is coming out strain once more. If you don't have one of those mousse rings, make one from an old plastic bottle! Add 3-4 tbsp of the tomato tartare in the ring and make a small layer at the bottom. Now remove the ring and tadaaa a perfect circle. Add the vinaigrette on top and mozzarella on the side. sprinkle some balsamico & olive oil over the mozza and top with some basil. Add a parmesan crispy on the side and you're ready to serve! Enjoy! ✨