Dominic Jack recipe: Heirloom tomatoes with black olive grissini and basil
Dominic Jack creates some sunshine with this recipe for heirloom tomatoes with black olive grissini and basil
Heirloom tomatoes are ancient varieties of tomatoes. You might have also heard them referred to as heritage tomatoes. Essentially, they are tomatoes that are grown naturally and include traditional varieties developed using ancient and traditional techniques. You’ll find they are much less uniform in appearance than many of the tomatoes you see in supermarkets. They tend to be more plump and intense in flavour too. The flavour combination of tomatoes and basil is hard to beat, and the sharp crunch of the black olive grissini in this recipe adds to the taste and texture of the dish, giving it a really fresh burst of Mediterranean summer. To make this summer salad, the tomatoes are marinated in olive oil and a little salt, to bring out the flavour. Then we place them under the grill on a very low setting, just to warm them up. It’s a way to trick them into thinking they’re back on the tomato plant, under the sun, and it gives them a wonderful juicy taste.
Ingredients
- 125g flour
- 30g butter
- 30g water
- 100g olive oil
- 3g salt
- 3g fresh yeast
- 1 tbsp egg yolk
- 100g black olive tapenade
- 250g selection of
- heirloom tomatoes
- (or good quality
- vine tomatoes)
- 1 tsp olive oil for dressing
- dash of balsamic vinegar
- sea salt for seasoning
- 30g basil
- handful of borage (optional)
Serves: 4 Difficulty: Medium Time to cook: 15 mins
Method
Heirloom tomatoes with black olive grissini and basil
For the grissini
Sieve the flour into a bowl. In a separate pot add the butter, water, olive oil and salt. Place somewhere warm and heat until 37C. Add the yeast.
Pour the wet mixture into the flour and knead with your hands until it forms a firm dough. Cling-film the bowl and leave to prove for 2 hours. Once proved, roll out the dough into a sheet 2mm thick and 30cm long.
Mix the egg yolk with the black olive tapenade and brush over the dough. Cut the dough into your desired shapes. Place on baking tray and bake at 170C/Gas Mark 3 for 5 minutes.
To serve
For each dish slice the tomatoes and toss with the olive oil and a sprinkling of sea salt and balsamic vinegar. Warm briefly under the grill at a low setting. Cut the basil into strips and place over the tomatoes along with the borage. To finish, place the grissini on the tomatoes.
http://foodanddrink.scotsman.com/recipes/carina-contini-recipe-strawberry-cream-crunch/