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

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

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.