Tomato tartare

This recipe for a fresh, lively vegetarian tartare will please even hard-core meat lovers. The tomato is seasoned with smokey paprika and chilli, and served with egg and bread for a hearty starter.

Tomato tartare Credit: Richo's Bar Snacks

• serves

  2

• prep

  15 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 3 oxheart tomatoes
• 2 sprigs fresh basil, leaves only
• ½ bunch chives
• ¼ tsp thyme leaves
• pinch of ground smoked paprika
• ½ red onion, finely diced
• ½ tbsp seeded, finely diced red chilli
• ½ tsp white vinegar
• ½ tsp Worcestershire sauce

To serve

• 8–10 cornichons
• 6 hard-boiled quail eggs, sliced
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
• 1 tbsp baby parsley
• 1 tbsp aged balsamic
• toasted bread

Instructions

1. Halve tomatoes and squeeze to remove seeds. Finely chop and place in a bowl. Finely cut fresh herbs and add to tomatoes. Add chilli and red onion. Season with paprika, white vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and a good pinch each of salt and pepper. Using a spoon, gently mix all ingredients together.
2. Place a round pastry cutter on the centre of a plate. Scoop half of tomato mixture into pastry cutter. With back of the spoon and while holding the cutter, pack down the mixture. 
3. Remove pastry cutter and garnish with cornichons, quail eggs, toasted sesame seeds, baby parsley and a drizzle of aged balsamic. Serve with bread.

 

This recipe is from Richo's Bar Snacks on SBS Food (Channel 33). Stream episodes via SBS On Demand.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.