Tomato Carpaccio

This salad should be on your menu this week.  It’s so colorful, fresh and satisfying…not to mention, it’s beautiful to look at.  My oh my, what am I going to do without tomatoes soon?!  I don’t even know how to say goodbye.  Maybe with this salad on repeat.

This is a play on a beef carpaccio because I suppose if you squint, the tomatoes resemble beef, right?!  The salad is complemented with Parmesan shavings, briny capers, and fresh basil.  Plus it has a homemade tangy Caesar dressing to go with it, complete with raw egg yolk and anchovies.  If that doesn’t scare you, keep on reading!

Feel free to make the required adjustments if you don’t want raw egg and/or anchovies.  You can omit the anchovies completely (or substitute with a little Worcestershire, to taste) and add a little more mayo (while omitting the egg yolk) to form a thick but pourable emulsion.  The flavor will be slightly different, but still delicious.  If you ain’t scurred of raw egg or anchovies, here’s a few tips:

1. Use the freshest eggs you can find from a trusted source-I try to get my eggs from the farmers’ market when in season.  If not, you can use pasteurized eggs (a lot from the grocery store are pasteurized-just read the label).
2. Start with a little amount of anchovy-either with a small fillet or by cutting a large one in half- and scale up after tasting your dressing, if need be.  You can use anchovy paste also; honestly, it’s a super easy way to have anchovies at the ready at all times.  Just start small (again) and adjust to taste.

You could definitely make this as a starter salad or share it between two people.  I could probably make an entire meal around tomatoes in the summer.  You’ll probably have a little extra dressing for a plain ol’ Caesar on another night, or more and more and more of this salad.

I love to make this with red heirloom tomatoes so it doesn’t look too busy, but use whatever you can get your hands on this time of year-it’s sure to be good.

Let’s enjoy the last few days of warm weather with this recipe, mmkay?

Tomato Carpaccio

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• Author: Amanda
• Yield: 2 to 4 servings

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Description

A salad full of sliced red ripe tomatoes plus sweet cherry tomatoes drizzle with a tangy homemade Caesar dressing!  Plus tons of shaved Parmesan, briny capers and fresh basil to go into full summer mode.

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Ingredients

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CAESAR DRESSING:

• 1 large egg yolk
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
• 1 small anchovy fillet, drained of oil OR 1 to 2 teaspoons anchovy paste
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons canola oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) freshly ground Parmesan cheese

SALAD:

• 2-1/2 to 3 pounds ripe red heirloom tomatoes
• 6 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved
• Fleur de sel, to taste
• 2 tablespoons capers, drained
• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, cut into chiffonade or torn
• 2 ounces Parmesan, shaved with vegetable peeler

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Instructions

1. To make the dressing: Combine the egg yolk, Dijon mustard, anchovies, lemon juice, mayonnaise and red wine vinegar in the bowl of a food processor.  Pulse until smooth.  Combine the extra-virgin olive oil and canola oil in a glass measuring cup and, with the food processor running, slowly drizzle the oil in to the dressing until an emulsion is formed.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Add the ground Parmesan and pulse a few times to combine. 
2. Core the tomatoes and slice about 1/2-inch-thick.  Arrange the tomatoes on a serving platter, overlapping the tomatoes on top of each other.  Sprinkle with fleur de sel and freshly ground black pepper.  Drizzle the tomatoes with some of the dressing. Sprinkle the cherry tomatoes, capers, basil and shaved Parmesan over top.  Serve the remaining dressing on the side.

Notes

Inspiration: Tomato Carpaccio on foodnetwork.com

• Category: Salads