Tomato Tartare with Fried Shallots
By David Harbilas
This is one of my favorite preparations of tomato when they are at their peak.
It’s little more than a tomato salad, but it makes for an elegant presentation when entertaining.
The balsamic vinaigrette, which is almost like a mayonnaise, is a great dressing on green salads, though its sweetness works best with ripe, juicy tomatoes.
Serves 4
- 3-4 large brandywine tomatoes (or other red, slicing variety)
- 3 large shallots
- 4 large basil leaves
- 1 clove of garlic
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 egg yolk
- salt and pepper to taste
- ¼ cup each of flour and corn starch
To prepare the tomatoes, peel them by cutting an X in the bottom of each tomato, place them into boiling water for 10-15 seconds, then immerse in ice water for 2-3 minutes. The skins should easily slip off. Cut each tomato in half, cross-wise, to expose the inner chambers and seeds. Squeeze out the seeds and chop the flesh to a medium dice, about ¼ inch. To make the vinaigrette, place the two vinegars with the Dijon and egg yolk in a stainless steel bowl.
Season with salt and pepper to taste and slowly whisk in the extra virgin olive oil to make an emulsified sauce. For the fried shallots, mix the flour and corn starch and season with salt and pepper. Slice all but one of the shallots into rings. Toss the shallots in the flour mixture, then shake off the excess and fry in vegetable oil until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Remove the shallots and drain on paper towels, seasoning with salt and pepper.
To complete the tartare, dice the remaining shallot finely and add to the tomatoes. Grate the garlic clove into the tomatoes using a fine cheese grater. Add the basil leaves and just enough balsamic vinaigrette to coat the tomatoes. Toss the mixture well and season with salt and pepper to taste. To serve, place a ring mold on each of four plates and spoon the tomato mixture into the mold, pressing gently into an even layer.
Remove the mold and top with the fried shallots.
