Cream of fresh tomatoes garnished with artichokes, string beans and watercress

Author: APCI - Associazione Professionale Cuochi Italiani

Ingredients for 4 portions
  1. 400g Whole Sautéed Artichokes With Stems
  2. 120g string beans
  3. 50g watercress
  4. 30g extra virgin olive oil
  5. 3g salt and pepper

for the fresh tomato sauce

  1. 20g extra virgin olive oil
  2. 5g salt and pepper
  3. 80g vine tomatoes

for the vinaigrette

  1. 60g extra virgin olive oil
  2. 5g salt and pepper
  3. 20g red wine vinegar
  4. 1g red shallot

for the garnish

  1. 5g extra virgin olive oil
  2. 1g basil
  3. 5g radishes
Method

  • Wash and cut the tomatoes into pieces, liquidise and push through a chinois to remove the skins.

  • Emulsify the tomato purée in a liquidiser with the extra virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Wash the watercress, dry and flatten the best sprigs.

  • For the vinaigrette, dissolve the salt in the red wine vinegar, season with pepper and add the shallot and emulsify with the oil.

  • Trim the beans to all the same length and blanch in salted water. Drain and while still hot, dress with the vinaigrette.

  • Cut the artichokes into four segments. Warm in the microwave for 30 seconds.

  • Pool the tomato sauce on the plates, putting the string beans at the top, the watercress in the middle and the artichokes around the edge.

  • Garnish with slivers of radish and basil leaves and complete with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and traditional balsamic vinegar from Modena.