Tomato Tower with Shallot Bacon Dressing
Recipe created by Cristina Ferrare
This is one of my absolute favorite ways to eat tomatoes. It reminds me of a BLT. I just use a crunchy baguette to dip into the oil and balsamic.
Watch Cristina make this recipe!
Watch Cristina make this recipe!
Servings:
Ingredients
Directions
Fry bacon in a skillet until crisp and set aside, saving the drippings. Add the chopped shallots and sauté for 2 minutes until shallots start to turn a bit crispy. Turn off heat, pour the shallots into a bowl and scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Return the pan to the stove. Add apple cidar vinegar and mix well with a wooden spoon.
To make toasted bread rounds: From the white bread, cut 6 round 2 1/2-inch pieces. Using the same pan you used to fry the bacon, turn heat to medium. Place 3 bread rounds or as many as the pan will fit and lightly toast both sides of the bread. Be careful that the flame isn't too high; you don't want to burn the bread, so stay with it until all 6 pieces have been toasted lightly.
To assemble: Place the toasted rounds of bread on a salad plate, and then add a slice of tomato, sprinkle with a pinch of kosher salt and cracked black pepper, drizzle on 1/2 teaspoon of bacon dressing and top with mozzarella cheese. Repeat the process until you have 3 pieces of tomatoes and 2 slices of mozzarella cheese in your tower. On the last tomato slice, add a pinch of kosher salt and drizzle more dressing lightly on the tomato top, including some on the plate. Sprinkle the chopped bacon on top. Garnish the plate with the baby tomatoes. Top with fresh basil and dot with reduced balsamic vinegar.
Watch Cristina make this recipe!
To make toasted bread rounds: From the white bread, cut 6 round 2 1/2-inch pieces. Using the same pan you used to fry the bacon, turn heat to medium. Place 3 bread rounds or as many as the pan will fit and lightly toast both sides of the bread. Be careful that the flame isn't too high; you don't want to burn the bread, so stay with it until all 6 pieces have been toasted lightly.
To assemble: Place the toasted rounds of bread on a salad plate, and then add a slice of tomato, sprinkle with a pinch of kosher salt and cracked black pepper, drizzle on 1/2 teaspoon of bacon dressing and top with mozzarella cheese. Repeat the process until you have 3 pieces of tomatoes and 2 slices of mozzarella cheese in your tower. On the last tomato slice, add a pinch of kosher salt and drizzle more dressing lightly on the tomato top, including some on the plate. Sprinkle the chopped bacon on top. Garnish the plate with the baby tomatoes. Top with fresh basil and dot with reduced balsamic vinegar.
Watch Cristina make this recipe!
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