Spicy Tomato Consomme

Name: Spicy Tomato Consomme
Cook time: P0Y0M0DT0H35M0.000S
Total time: P0Y0M0DT3H35M0.000S
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 8 pounds ripe tomatoes; Fine sea salt; 1 tablespoon sliced fresh ginger; 4 cloves garlic, sliced; 2 stalks lemongrass, sliced; Freshly ground black pepper; 2 cups bite-size pieces dried rice cellophane noodles (cut up with scissors); 2 scallions, thinly sliced; 8 cherry tomatoes, sliced; 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; 1 bird's eye hot chile pepper, stem removed, thinly sliced

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Level: Intermediate

Total: 3 hr 35 min (includes standing time)
Active: 35 min

Yield: 4 servings

Level: Intermediate

Total: 3 hr 35 min (includes standing time)
Active: 35 min

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

8 pounds ripe tomatoes

Fine sea salt

1 tablespoon sliced fresh ginger

4 cloves garlic, sliced

2 stalks lemongrass, sliced

Freshly ground black pepper

2 cups bite-size pieces dried rice cellophane noodles (cut up with scissors)

2 scallions, thinly sliced

8 cherry tomatoes, sliced

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 bird's eye hot chile pepper, stem removed, thinly sliced

Directions

Set up a strainer lined with cheesecloth folded into at least 4 layers. Set the strainer on top of a bowl to catch the liquid that will be strained.
Remove the core from each tomato. Roughly chop the tomatoes and put into a blender with about 1 teaspoon of salt. Pulse the tomatoes until almost pureed but with a few chunks remaining. Pour the blended tomatoes into the cheesecloth-lined strainer and refrigerate. The tomato mixture will slowly drip clarified tomato water into the bowl. This will take 2 to 3 hours to completely drip out of the puree and can be done overnight.
Pour the tomato water into a medium pot. (The remaining puree can be saved for another recipe or discarded.) Bring the tomato water to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat, add the ginger, garlic and lemongrass to the liquid and simmer for 3 minutes. Foam will start to form at the top of the tomato water and should be skimmed off. Season with salt and pepper.
Place the rice noodle pieces in a medium pot. Pour the tomato consomme through a strainer over the pot with the noodles in it, removing the aromatics. Bring the consomme back to a simmer and fully cook the noodles.
With a slotted spoon, scoop equal amounts of the noodles into 4 serving bowls. Pour the consomme over the noodles in the bowls. Garnish the top with the scallions, sliced cherry tomatoes, a few drops of extra-virgin olive oil and 2 or 3 slices of the hot peppers. Serve immediately.

Cook’s Note

In this recipe, we are creating "tomato water" which requires blending tomatoes into a pulp and then putting them in layers of cheesecloth set over a bowl for 2 to 3 hours. Bird's eye chile peppers are also used here. This tiny red pepper is very hot but adds a distinct flavor that is typical in Korean food. Be careful when handling them and distribute them thoughtfully when serving.