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Serves: 4
INGREDIENTS
- 12 Roma Tomatoes – cut in half and cut out core. 20ml Olive Oil
- 10gm Caster Sugar
- To Taste – Sea Salt and Ground Black Pepper Garlic Puree – from 1 Garlic Bulb (see method).
- 50ml Olive Oil
- 30ml Balsamic Vinegar
- 15ml Lemon Juice
- 10gm Caster Sugar
- To Taste – Tabasco Sauce
- To Taste – Sea Salt and Ground Black Pepper
- 1 Baby Cos Lettuce – remove outer leaves and separate smaller inner leaves.
- 120gm Buffalo Mozzarella Cheese – drain and roughly tear.
- 16 Basil Leaves – roughly tear.
- 80gm Black Kalamata Olives – drain, discard stone and roughly tear.
- To Taste – Sea Salt and Ground Black Pepper
METHOD
- Preheat an oven to a moderate/low temperature 140°C.
- Prick the garlic bulb 4 times with a fork, roast in a moderately heated oven for 50-60 minutes, or until the bulb has softened, then remove, cool and slice ½ cm off the garlic bulb’s base, squeeze out the garlic puree and set to one side until required.
- Place the tomato halves cut side up onto a roasting tray. Lightly drizzle each one with the first quantity of olive oil, then lightly sprinkle with the first quantity of caster sugar and season to taste with sea salt and black pepper. Place the tray into the oven and cook for 1½ hours or until the tomatoes have reduced in size by half and are lightly caramelised. Remove the tray from the oven, set to one side and allow the tomatoes to cool to room temperature.
- Place the garlic puree into a mixing bowl and mash with the back of a fork to a smooth paste. Place the garlic mash into a food processor. Add the second quantity of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice and the second quantity of caster sugar and blend until the ingredients have emulsified. Place the dressing in a clean mixing bowl and season to taste with Tabasco sauce, sea salt and black pepper and set to one side to allow the dressing flavours to develop.
TO SERVE
On a serving platter; arrange the baby cos leaves, top with the roast tomatoes, torn mozzarella cheese, basil leaves and olives, then lightly drizzle with a little of the dressing. Place remaining dressing in a jug and season the salad to taste with sea salt and black pepper.
