Plum tomato tart with Parmesan biscuit, avocado and chorizo – recipe

Paul Foster's stunning presentation ensures this tomato tart recipe is as impressive as it is delicious. The plum tomatoes really are the hero ingredient, with two confit tomatoes and two compressed tomatoes standing upright on discs of buttery Parmesan biscuit. Topped with creamy avocado, fragrant basil and a hint of spice from slices of chorizo, these tarts have a perfect combination of flavours.

Plum tomato tart with Parmesan biscuit, avocado and chorizo

Chef: Paul Foster

Serves: 4

Cooking Time: 90 min

Course: Starter

Skill level: Easy

Ingredients

Tomatoes

• 16 baby plum tomatoes
• 250g of salted butter
• 4 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 50ml of Cabernet Sauvignon vinegar
• 50g of dark muscavado sugar

Parmesan biscuit

• 250g of strong bread flour
• 100g of grated Parmesan
• 100g of salted butter
• 2g of salt

Avocado emulsion

• 1 avocado, ripe
• 3 egg yolks
• juice of half a lemon
• 300ml of sunflower oil
• sal

To serve

• 1 bunch of fresh basil
• 4 slices of chorizo
• mixed salad leaves, to garnish

Equipment

• Food processor
• Vacuum bags
• Chamber sealer
• Blender
• 6cm pastry cutter

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C/gas mark 3
2. For the Parmesan biscuit, mix together the flour, Parmesan and salt and rub in the butter to create a coarse crumble. Pour the crumble across a baking tray and cook for 10–15 minutes until golden, then remove from the oven and set aside to cool
3. Meanwhile, lightly score a cross through the skin of each tomato and place in a bowl. Cover with just enough boiling water to cover and leave for 30 seconds, then drain and cool the tomatoes under cold water. Peel off and discard the skins
4. Place 8 of the tomatoes in a heavy-bottomed pan with the butter and thyme sprigs. Gently melt the butter over a low heat and allow the tomatoes to confit slowly for 1 hour
5. Place the remaining 8 tomatoes in a vacuum bag with the vinegar and sugar and seal with a chamber sealer to compress. Set aside until ready to serve
6. Once the pastry crumble has cooled, transfer to a food processor and blend until the fat begins to separate out, making the crumbs sticky and glossy. Tip out onto a tray lined with baking paper and cover with a second sheet. Roll out evenly to create a thin layer of dough and transfer the tray to the freezer for 1 hour to set
7. To make the avocado emulsion, remove the peel and stone and place the flesh in a blender with the egg yolks and lemon juice. Blend briefly to combine as a smooth mixture then, keeping the machine slowly running, gradually pour in the sunflower oil until the mixture emulsifies
8. Adjust the seasoning to taste, then pass through a fine sieve to ensure the emulsion is completely smooth. Transfer to a piping bag and reserve in the fridge until ready to serve
9. Drain the confit tomatoes from the butter and the compressed tomatoes from the vacuum bag. Remove the Parmesan dough sheet from the freezer and use a 6cm pastry cutter to stamp out biscuit discs
10. To assemble the tarts, place a Parmesan biscuit on each plate and stand 2 compressed tomatoes and 2 confit tomatoes on top. Pipe over a little of the avocado emulsion and some shredded fresh basil. Gently warm the chorizo slices in a frying pan over a medium heat and lie across the top of the tarts, garnishing the plates with a few salad leaves to serve

Wine Match by Le Cordon Bleu Wine Development Manager, Matthieu Longuere MS

Côtes de Provence Rosé, R de Rimauresq, Domaine de Rimauresq, Provence, France 2015

Rosé wine is no brainer when considering a wine to have with tomatoes. The combination of ripe, red berry fruit and freshness of rosé seems to be handling the sweet and sour flavours of the tomato perfectly. This Côtes de Provence Rosé has enough structure to cut through the crunchy texture of the parmesan biscuit and handle the richness of the emulsion. The wine’s pungent mix of herbs, spices and pink grapefruit will not be overpowered by the balsamic vinegar and the chorizo.

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