Tomato and prawn cocktail – by Mark Gregory
INGREDIENTS
(serves two)
Four plum tomatoes - peeled seeded and cut into quarters
1 litre olive oil (enough for at least 12 tomatoes)
For the filling 50ml tomato vinaigrette
3 leaves silver gelatine - soaked in cold water till pliable squeezed dry
100g cocktail prawns size 110
2 leaves fresh basil chopped
Sea salt flakes
White pepper milled
For the garnish
2 tomato skins fried until crisp
2tbs parsley pesto
2tsp tomato oil
2tsp reduced balsamic vinegar and red wine
A little fresh herb and lettuce mesclun salad
Fried crisp celery leaves
Aea salt flakes
White pepper milled
METHOD
Heat oil to 70ºC add tomato quarters and stew gently for about 10 minutes until tomato is pliable but soft. Pick out each piece carefully and place on to a sheet of clingfilm. Allow to cool.
Heat your own recipe for tomato vinaigrette then stir in to dissolve the soaked leaves of gelatine. Add cocktail prawns chopped basil leaves and seasoning.
To assemble tomato for each portion lay six tomato petals in a flower shape on a clean sheet of clingfilm season with salt and milled pepper.
Place a heaped tablespoon of prawn mix into the centre. Carefully squeeze out any air between the tomato and the top of the clingfilm then carefully twist it to form a tight ball. Hang in fridge until set.
To serve place half parsley pesto into the middle of each chilled plate. Run a line of the reduced balsamic vinegar around the outside of the pesto followed by a drizzle of tomato oil. Place a little mesclun salad on to the pesto followed by a tomato which has been very carefully unwrapped. Decorate with a tomato skin crisp fried celery leaves and season with sea salt flakes and milled white pepper.
Mark Gregory