Tomato Chutney with Poached Egg

Tomato Foam

2 lbs. heirloom tomatoes
1/2 oz. ginger
1 tsp. unflavored gelatin powder
salt and pepper

Blanche tomatoes in boiling water for 1 minute. Remove the skins. Put skin to dry in the oven for two hours, 150-200º. Blend before sprinkling on the finished dish.

Blend the chopped tomatoes, then filter through a colander to remove lumps and seeds, and retain the juice. Heat the juice with the ginger and infuse for 30 minutes. Add the gelatin powder, mix and let cool. Add salt and pepper and put the mixture into a foamer. Add one foamer cartridge and chill for at least 1 hour.

Eggs

4 fresh eggs
1 tsp white vinegar
Coarse salt

In a saucepan, boil one liter of unsalted water with the vinegar. When the water is simmering, carefully drop the eggs into the water. Cook 2 minutes. Remove eggs with a tablespoon and plunge into cold water to stop further cooking.

Short on time or need to prepare the dish ahead? A sliced hard boiled egg will work as well.

Tomato Chutney

2 tbls sugar
1 tbls honey
1 oz. white honey Balsamic vinegar
1/2 lb. heirloom tomatoes
1 small piece of ginger
1/2 clove garlic
1/4 yellow chili pepper with seeds removed
1 pinch salt
2 tbls capers

Melt the sugar and honey in a saucepan together with the white balsamic vinegar. Bring to the boil then cook to reduce mixture to one third. Add all other ingredients except the capers and cook on medium heat for 20 minutes. Let cool. Add the capers to the cold mixture. Check the seasoning.

To serve, sprinkle some tomato powder before placing a spoonful of chutney into a circle. Gently lay the egg on top of the chutney. Add dollops of foam, a pinch of salt and tomato powder.

*Recipe adapted from Anne Sophie Pic L’école


‘Party’ Snazzy Foods

Sunday’s Menu seven layer dip

This post is past due after sitting in my drafts, waiting for a final proof, but it’s valid none the same since you don’t have to host a Super Bowl Party to have some fun with the foods you fix. Any day is a good day for jazzing up the menu. While it was just the two of us on Sunday for the not-so big game, it was still an excuse for me to do something different, and in my world that means trying one or two new recipes. In fact, only one recipe was something I’ve made before and I make it every Super Bowl Sunday.

The best part of this menu is there was no pressure to have everything ready at once. The only person I had to feed was my husband and he tends to be happy whenever I cook. I started the day making the 7 Layer Dip and let it set up in the fridge. It’s probably the same one – or very similar to what you have made before or bought at the local market. Nothing all that snazzy there. Dessert came next with a recipe a friend passed along recently, and it then it wasn’t until the game started that I set to work on the sliders and veggies. Since he’s a darn good guy, my husband made my champagne cocktail while I cooked. You can use champagne, prosecco, or any other sparkling wine. One of my favorites is Risque made by Toad Hollow, mostly because I have very limited tastes in wine, but I am learning to branch out more the older I get. I have some left over cherries (not the crappy maraschino kind) from cocktails served at our housewarming party so they must be used. I had him add two cherries to the glass along with a tiny drop of the cherry syrup. You could also add a fruit liqueur – just think of it like a mimosa and add any flavor – you’re not limited to just peaches or oranges. Read More