Strawberry and tomato salad – or in French, Tomates Anciennes et fraises: Top French Chef Gerald Passedat, one of only a handful of three Michelin star chefs in the world, shares this delicious, easy to prepare dish from his fabulous cook book Flavors from the French Mediterranean…
Serves 4 | Preparation time: 25 minutes
Ingredients
8 heirloom tomatoes (pineapple, green zebra, beefsteak, etc.)
2 shallots
Scant ½ cup (100 ml) white Pineau des Charentes vinegar
1 cup (4 ¼ oz./125 g) Mara strawberries (cultivated woodland strawberries)
1 small bunch basil
1 small bunch purple basil
½ cup (110 ml)
Passedat olive oil
Fleur de sel de Camargue (Camargue sea salt)
Freshly ground black pepper
Wash the tomatoes, remove the stalks, and cut a cross in the base of each one with a small knife to make them easier to peel. Immerse in boiling water for a few seconds, then in cold water; slip off the skins and reserve.
Chop the shallots finely. Place them in a small pan with the vinegar and cook over a high heat until all the vinegar has evaporated. Reserve.
Wash the strawberries, remove their stalks, and slice them lengthways.
Wash both bunches of basil and pick the leaves off the stalks.
Slice the tomatoes thinly and arrange on a serving dish with the strawberry slices between them. Sprinkle over the shallots in vinegar and drizzle with the olive oil. Season with fleur de sel and freshly ground pepper, then garnish with the basil leaves.
CHEF’S NOTE
The sweetness of the strawberries marries perfectly with the acidity of the ripe, summer tomatoes in this salad.
More great dishes from Gerald Passedat:
Poached peaches in green tea syrup
Menton lemon tart
