Whole Roasted Tomato filled with Roasted Garlic Soup
and Crispy Fried Leeks

Using a whole tomato as the serving vehicle for a hot or cold soup is
a fun way to present the soup. As you eat the soup, you can cut into
the tomato as well. In this recipe, the fried leeks add just the right
amount of texture and zip to the garlic soup.

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

4 large red tomatoes
Crispy Fried Leeks (recipe follows)
Roasted Garlic Purée (recipe follows)
4 cups Chicken Stock (recipe follows)
salt and pepper

Preparation:

Score the top of the tomatoes with a knife (creating an X), but do not
core the tomatoes.

Place the tomatoes in boiling salted water and cook for 2 minutes.
Remove and immediately shock the tomatoes in ice water. Carefully
remove the skin, cut off the tops of the tomatoes and hollow out the
tomatoes.

Tip: Be careful not to make any holes in the sides or bottom of the
tomatoes, or your soup will leak out. Discard the tops and the inner
tomato pulp.

Combine the roasted garlic with the chicken stock and place in a
medium saucepan. Warm over medium heat for 10 minutes or until hot and
season to taste with salt and pepper.

Place the tomatoes on a sheet pan and roast at 350 degrees for 10
minutes or until just hot.

Crispy Fried Leeks

Makes 2 cups

Ingredients:

2 cups very finely julienned leeks
salt and pepper
canola oil for frying

Preparation:

Fry the julienned leeks in the canola oil for 2 to 3 minutes or until
crispy. (Cook them in batches.) Remove from the oil, blot on paper
towels and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Chicken Stock

Makes 2 quarts

Ingredients:

6 pounds chicken bones
3 cups chopped onions
2 cups chopped carrots
2 cups chopped celery
1 cup chopped leeks
1 tablespoon whole white peppercorns
1 bay leaf

Preparation:

Place all the ingredients in a large stockpot and cover three-fourths
of the way with cold water (about 2 gallons).

Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and slowly simmer for 4
hours, skimming every 30 minutes to remove the impurities that rise to
the surface.

Strain and continue to cook over medium heat for 30 to 45 minutes or
until reduced down to about 2 quarts.

Roasted Garlic Purée

Makes about 3/4 cup

Ingredients:

4 garlic bulbs, tops cut off
1/2 cup olive oil
3 cups milk
salt and pepper

Preparation:

Place the garlic in a small saucepan, cover with the milk and simmer
for 10 minutes.

Drain the milk and then place the garlic bulbs bottom-side down in an
ovenproof pan. Add the olive oil and cover the pan with a lid or foil.
Bake in a 350-degree oven for 1 1/2 hours or until the garlic bulbs
are soft.

Cool the garlic and oil, squeeze the soft garlic out of the skins and
place in a blender with the olive oil in which you baked the garlic.
Purée the garlic and oil until smooth.

Assembly:

Place a tomato in the center of a shallow bowl or soup plate. Fill the
tomato with the roasted garlic soup and sprinkle with the crispy fried
leeks. (You should serve the tomato in a bowl so that you can eat it
along with the soup.)

Alternative Assembly:

Dice the tomatoes and place them in the bowl. Pour the hot soup over
the tomatoes and sprinkle with the crispy fried leeks.

Copyright ©1999 Charlie Trotter's.



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