Gazpacho “Tea”with Fried Green Tomato

Yield: 1.5L

For the Tea Base:

1Kilo Garden Tomatoes

5 Grams Raw Garlic, sliced

20 Grams Shallots, sliced

50 Grams Red Onion, diced

150 Grams Cucumber , diced

150 Grams Red Pepper, diced

15 Grams Basil, crushed

15 Grams Lemon Verbena, crushed

2 Grams Pimenton

20 Grams Kosher Salt

75 Grams Red Wine Vinegar

2 Grams Tabasco

750 Milliliter Tomato Water, from above    

.38 Grams Low Acyl Gellan

15 Grams Lemon Verbena

For the Foam:

250 Milliliter Tomato Water, from above

3 Grams Versawhip

0.6 Grams Xantham Gum

For the Fried Green Tomato:

1 Each Green Tomatoes, cherry

50 Grams Kosher Salt

500 Grams Water

150 Grams Cornmeal, finely ground

150 Grams Cake Flour

1 Gram Kosher Salt

.5 Grams Pimenton

.5 Grams Cayenne

500 Grams Buttermilk

.5 Liter Peanut Oil, for frying

For the Garnish:    

10 Grams Basil Seeds, hydrated and drained

• Greek Basil,  picked leaves
• Lemon Verbena with Blossoms
• Lemon Verbena “Skewers”

For the Tea:

1. Place the tomatoes, garlic, shallots, red onion, cucumber and red pepper in a food processor and process until roughly chopped.

2. Place in a mixing bowl and add the remaining ingredients. Mix thoroughly.

3. Cover the bowl and marinate for six hours.

4. Place a perforated pan over another pan and line with three layers of cheesecloth. Pour the gazpacho base into the tray and allow to drain overnight.

5. Once drained, pass the gazpacho base through a coffee filter or super bag to further clarify the base.

6. Place 750g of the gazapacho base in a medium sauce pot and slowly stir in the low acyl gellan. Bring to a boil, add the lemon verbena and pour into a medium bowl. Set the bowl over an ice bath and let cool until set.

7. Once cool, strain through a chinois and reserve.

For the Foam:

1. Strain 250ml of the infused base into a blender top and process on low speed.

2. Slowly sheer in the versawhip and the xantham gum and allow to hydrate for one minute.

3. Reserve.

For the Fried Green Tomato:

1. Trim the top and bottom off the green tomatoes.

2. Combine the salt and water in a medium mixing bowl and whisk until the salt dissolves.

3. Add the tomatoes to the brine and allow to sit for 30 minutes.

4. Strain the tomatoes and allow to dry on a clean towel.

5. Combine the cake flour, salt, cayenne and pimenton.

6. Dust the tomatoes in flour and then dip in buttermilk.

7. Drain the tomatoes from any excess buttermilk and toss in the ground corn meal.

8. Repeat with the buttermilk and cornmeal.

9. Reserve.

To Assemble:

1. Decoratively arrange some verbena, tomato clusters and blossoms in a glass carafe.

2. Combine the reserved gazpacho with the basil seeds and pour into the carafe.

3. Bring the peanut oil to 175C and fry the tomatoes until golden brown. Season with salt and dust with pimenton.  Skewer the tomatoes through the cut ends with a verbena branch.

4. Whip the foam with a small immersion blender and allow to settle for one minute.

5. Place a spoonful into a small glass and garnish with a blossom. Rest the fried green tomato skewer on the edge of the glass.

6. Pour the tea into the glass and serve.