My first consommé - An explosion of flavour!

There is a book. It is not just a book, but it is the 3 Star Chef by Gordon Ramsay. I have recieved it some days ago! It is gorgeous. Period. Of course my first thought was: I must cook everything! Or at least try to...! Yes, I am going to cook through this book, except those recipes that call for tuna, swordfish or snails.


As I was lucky enough to get some gorgeous St. Pierre tomatoes last weekend, probably the last ones this season, and as I always buy a lot more tomatoes than planned, it was the perfect opportunity to cook the first dish of the 3 Star Chef: chilled tomato consommé with asparagus, peas, tomato concassé and basil.


Of course I left out the asparagus as it is not in season. The consommé? Well, I have never tasted anything like that before, though I already prepared a white tomato foam earlier, so I had an idea how clear tomato liquid tastes. This consommé was a huge firework that explodes in your mouth. It is made using ordinary ingredients such as basil, garlic, carrot, celery, onion, tarragon, thyme and so on. It is also not tricky in the preparation. Stew veggies, add tomatoes, season and cook with tomato juice. Strain, let it cool, and cook it with the clarifying mix that uses egg whites like in on a meat based consommé. The result? A fantastic tomato consommé.