
Summer Caprese Salad
Recipe courtesy of David L. Daniot, CEC, Executive Chef, Grosse Pointe Yacht Club, Grosse Pointe, Mich.
Ingredients
- For Mozzarella "Mat"
- mozzarella cheese curd - 8 ozs.
- water - 1/2 gal. salted to taste like sea water, heated to 160˚ and maintained there
- For Olive Oil-Poached Grape Tomatoes
- grape tomatoes - 12, peeled
- garlic cloves - 2, crushed
- sprigs thyme - 2
- black peppercorns - 6
- sea salt - to taste
- California extra virgin olive oil - 2 fl. ozs.
- For Stuffed Roma Tomato
- roma tomatoes - 4, peeled and seeded
Instructions
For Mozarella "Mat":
- Using a strainer, submerge cheese curds in water and work with a wooden spoon until it reaches a smooth mass.
- Remove from water and continue working until perfectly smooth.
- Work into a uniform sheet in a vacuum bag, seal, and press flat overnight.
For Olive Oil-Poached Grape Tomatoes:
- Vacuum-seal and poach in a 170˚ water bath for 10 minutes.
- Cool in an ice bath.
For Stuffed Roma Tomato:
- Fill tomatoes with tomato fondue (classical preparation of tomato concassé, slowly sautéed in butter or oil with minced onion, garlic, salt, & pepper).
Final Assembly:
- Cut a rectangular “mat” from the compressed mozzarella and brush with a little seasoned olive oil; place on center of plate.
- Place a stuffed roma tomato on one end of mozzarella mat.
- Place some baby lettuce leaves that have been dressed with a little olive oil and lemon juice on the other end of the mozzarella mat.
- Organically place two or three of the olive oil-poached tomatoes around the plate.
- Garnish the salad with dehydrated roma tomato slices for texture.
- Finesse the plate with micro basil and a light drizzle of California olive oil.
- At service, garnish the stuffed tomato with a light cracker made from brick dough, seasoned with black pepper and a sprinkle of smoked sea salt.