Folio
Plant Food
"Here's a recipe I used to make on Garde Manger at the now shuttered West Restaurant in Vancouver, some 15 years ago. Its secret lies in the red wine gastrique that spikes the velvety, fresh soup with another dimension of acidity, simultaneously balanced with sweetness. Also, the melding of flavours from the 24 hour marinade allows the depth of the fruits and vegetables to lengthen on the palate and add complexity to each other's hues. Sometimes, you can't fuck with the classics."
Tomato Gazpacho by David Zilber
Photo by David Zilber
INGREDIENTS
1 pint ripe sungold tomatoes
250 ml tomato juice
3 cloves garlic
1 red peppers, chopped, seeds removed
1 cucumbers, chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
¼ bunch cilantro
1 jalapeno
8 ripe roma tomatoes
100 ml olive oil
red wine vinegar gastrique:
100 ml red wine vinegar
100 ml white sugar
salt, tabasco & worcestershire to taste
METHOD
To make the gastrique, caramelize the sugar in a pot until brown and bubbling. Then deglaze with vinegar and allow it to boil until all the sugar's dissolved. Remove the pot from heat to let it cool.
Combine all the other ingredients in a suitably sized container, making sure to thoroughly mix them and crush the tomatoes with your hands. Transfer it to the fridge to allow it to marinade for 24 hours, or at the very least, overnight.
Blend the mixture on high-speed until completely smooth, and then pass it through a fine chinois, pressing it through with a ladle. Season with salt, tabasco and worcestershire to taste.
Mix it well one final time before serving it chilled with a drizzle of olive oil, cracked black pepper and more fresh herbs of your choosing than you think necessary.