Scott Anderson, Chef/Co-Owner, Elements and Mistral, Princeton
“I have so many more [tattoos] to get. It’s going to be a lifetime’s work.”—Scott Anderson
Tomato Soup with Ciabatta Toast and Grilled Cheese
Serves 4
For Basil Purée:
6 cups salted water
2 packed cups basil
½ cup olive oil
1. For Basil Purée: Bring salted water to a boil in a large pot. Blanch basil in salted water for 45 seconds. Remove basil and immediately shock in an ice bath until cold. Pat dry and purée in a blender with olive oil until smooth. Keep covered in cool place.
For Ciabatta Toast:
1 loaf Ciabatta bread, ripped into chunks
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 branches thyme leaves
Oil, for frying (enough to fill a pan 2" high)
2. For Ciabatta Toast: Marinate bread chunks in olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, and thyme leaves at room temperature until bread is soaked fully. Fill a large, deep pot with 2" of oil and bring to 350°F. Carefully add bread chunks and deep-fry until golden brown, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from oil and lay on paper towels to drain.
For Marinated Feta Cheese:
4 ounces feta cheese
¼ cup of your preferred fresh herbs (basil, thyme, and sage all work well)
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
black pepper
3. For Marinated Feta Cheese: Break feta into small chunks. Marinate in herbs, extra-virgin olive oil, and black pepper for as long as you wish. The longer you wait the more the flavors will be absorbed. Store in refrigerator.
For Soup:
12 large Brandywine or other heirloom tomatoes (a variety of colors doesn’t hurt)
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic
4. For Soup: Peel, coarsely chop, and deseed tomatoes. Wrap 1⁄3 of the tomatoes in cheesecloth and hang to drain overnight with a receptacle underneath to collect the tomato “water.” Discard the tomatoes in the cheesecloth after water is collected. When making the soup, sauté in a sauce pan on high heat in olive oil a couple slices of garlic and remainder of the chopped tomatoes for 1 minute. Add the tomato “water” and bring just to a simmer then immediately remove from heat. (Do not simmer for a long time. Prolonged cooking destroys the freshness of flavor.)
To Complete:
1⁄3 cup fresh basil and basil flowers
5. To Complete: Arrange the dish as artfully as you care to. Add a few dots of basil purée out of a squeeze bottle, a few chunks of feta cheese and Cibatta, and garnish with basil and basil flowers. Add soup just before serving.
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Excerpted from Eat Ink Copyright © 2013 by Birk O’Halloran and Daniel Luke Holton and published by F+W Media, Inc. Used by permission of the publisher. All rights reserved. Photos courtesy of Daniel Luke Holton.