Chef notes
Everyone loves tomatoes so I wanted to do something a bit more interesting than a typical heirloom tomato salad and make it an entrée. By dredging the tomatoes in a batter and cooking them until golden brown, and adding fun toppings, it turns typical salad components — or even typical pizza flavors — into an actual main course.
Technique tip: When you put the oil in the pan, give it a couple of minutes to make sure it gets hot enough. That way when you add the cool tomato, it doesn't cool the oil down too much and it properly cooks it quickly. Also, when you make sure the oil is hot enough, it makes sure the batter gets nice and crispy and is less greasy.
Swap option: You could actually substitute the tomato with any piece of meat, like pork. Or you could even use something like eggplant or zucchini.
Ingredients
- 1⅔ cup all-purpose flour, divided
- 6 eggs
- 2 large heirloom tomatoes
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 8 ounces (1 cup) ricotta cheese
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 bell peppers, seeds removed and roasted
- 1/2 preserved lemon, seeds and insides removed
- 1/2 teaspoon calabrian chile, or more to taste
- Red wine vinegar, to taste
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1/2 bunch basil
- 1/2 bunch parsley
- 4 anchovies
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
- Lemon zest, to taste
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Preparation
For the tomato "schnitzel":
1.Remove the core of the tomatoes. Cut the tomatoes in half lengthwise, then slice off the ends so they can rest flat on a board (like a large hockey puck).
2.Place 2/3 cup flour and eggs in a blender, and blend until incorporated. Season each slice of tomato generously with salt and pepper. The remaining 1 cup flour on a plate, dredge each slice in the flour, tap off any extra, then dredge in batter.
3.Heat the olive oil a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Fry the tomato slices in the oil until golden brown on both sides.
For the whipped ricotta:
Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth.
For the piperade:
Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth.
For the bagna cauda:
Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend until slightly chunky (about the consistency of pesto).
To serve:
Place tomato schnitzel on a platter and serve with the three sauces on the side.
