Tomato Tartare

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To the eye it could be the steak tartare that inspired it. It's quick and simple to prepare if the basic mise en place is taken out of the equation. Advance preparation Tomato confit - slice plum tomatoes roughly 3mm thick. Lay them on a rack above a tray. Sprinkle with sugar, salt, thyme, lemon thyme and rosemary. Dry out for about two days above the range. Preserved lemon - bring a light stock syrup (25% sugar solution) to the boil. Add wafer-thin slices of untreated lemons. Return to the boil. Take off the heat. Leave the lemons to macerate in the syrup for two days before using. Ingredients(serves one) 50g skinned and seeded torpedo tomato 25g tomato confit 1 heaped tsp diced preserved lemon slices 1tsp diced gherkins 1tsp diced capers 1tsp finely diced shallots 1tsp chopped chives 1tsp chopped chervil Method Chop both the tomatoes as for concass‚es. Combine them with the other ingredients. Put a 7-8cm hoop on a plate and spoon the tomato mixture into it. Press down to form a patty. Remove the hoop. Dressing for the tartare - olive oil, fleur de sel and sherry caramel (Pedro Ximenez sherry reduced to an aged balsamic vinegar texture, then stored). Other elements served with the tartare A shot of "fizzy" tomato water and a Parmesan sorbet. Tomato water Blitz 1kg of tomatoes. Season with crushed white peppercorns, coriander seeds, a few split cardamoms, rosemary, lemon juice, sherry vinegar, Worcester sauce, Tabasco and fleur de sel. Pour the mixture into a cheesecloth fastened over a basin or mixing bowl. Leave the liquid to drain overnight. To make it fizz, empty into a Sodastream and carbonate. Pour a little into a shot glass and serve at once. Parmesan sorbet (10-15g per portion with the tartare) Bring 500ml of semi-skimmed milk to the boil. Add 150g grated Parmesan. Boil briefly and pour into a bowl containing 50g glucose. Infuse one hour. Strain. Either freeze in a Pacojet or churn in a sorbetière. Photo © Sam Bailey