Tomates confites

Slow-roasted tomatoes with olive oil and dried thyme flowers.

It is always a good idea to have this garnish because it can come in handy with other different recipes (rice, pasta, fish, meat, poultry, etc...).
You may keep these tomatoes in the fridge for a while without any problem.




Ingredients :


For one big jar:
1) Huile d'olive
2) 1,5 kg of ripe tomatoes 
3) 10 gm of dried thyme flowers
4) 5 garlic cloves
5) sugar, salt and freshly ground pepper




Direction :


1) Remove any stems from the tomatoes and 
make a cross with a knife on the bottom of each of them. 
2) Boil some water and scald the tomatoes in it for 10 to 15 seconds. Place them in a bowl that has been previously filled with water and ice. Peel the tomatoes.
This step must be done quickly so that the tomatoes do not lose their firmness.3) Cut each tomato into four and remove all the grains inside. 
4) Place each tomato slice in a dish, skin facing you, and season with salt, pepper, sugar and thyme.
5) Degerm the garlic cloves and slice them thinly. Place one slice of garlic on top of each tomato slice.
6) Pour a generous amount of olive oil over the tomatoes and cook them in the oven at 90°C(200°F) for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Turn the tomatoes carefully and leave to cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes.7) Remove the tomatoes from the oven and let them cool. Then use a spatula to pile the tomatoes up inside a big jar. Cover them with olive oil and place them in the refrigerator.

You may taste the results 3 days later.

Chocolate Mousse

 Chocolate mousse recipe for 5 to 6 people


Ingredients :


1. 250g dark (56%) cooking chocolate
2. 3 dl whipping cream
3. 60g butter
4. 1 packet of vanilla sugar
5. 4 eggs, separated
6. 50g icing sugar
7. 24 biscuits, langue de chat

Direction :

1) Chop up the chocolate and melt it down onto a bain-marie (double boiler). As soon as the chocolate has melted take your bowl away from the heat.
2) bring your cream to the boil with the vanilla sugar and pour it onto the chocolate. Mix well.
3) Allow to cool down a little and start adding the butter in parcels. Then, add the egg yolks.
4) Whisk the egg whites until stiff. Add the icing sugar at the end and give them a last whisk to make even firmer.
5) Add 3 table spoon of egg whites into the chocolate. Then, carefully, fold the rest of the whites into the chocolate mixture, using a spatula(a broad, flat, flexible blade used to mix, spread and lift materials including foods, drugs, plaster, paints).
6) Put your chocolate mousse into the fridge for at least 12hours to set. Take your mousse out of the fridge 1/2hours before serving it. Nicely arrange your biscuits around your bowl.


Presentation:

If your are serving a chocolate mousse at meals between adults, there three nice accompaniments to your dessert :
- 1 glass of old Maury wine (Banyuls)
- or a glass of Pacherenc du Vic Bilh wine (or a Jurancon)
- or a glass of peppermint on the rocks

And for the kids a nice orange juice.