BABY LEEKS with TOMATO CONFIT

Ingredients
- ¾ cups cold water
- 16 cherry tomatoes, halved
- For tomato confit -
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 32 cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped or
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped or
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
- Salt and pepper
- Herbed cream filling -
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon fresh chives, chopped
- Salt and pepper
- 20 prawns, cooked, shelled and deveined
- Deep fried thin strips of carrot, zucchini, leek and eggplant for garnish
Directions
- Directions
- Leek molds: Lightly oil 4 individual 1 cup soufflé dishes, about 4 inch in diameter and 2 inch deep. Line with clear plastic wrap, smoothing out wrinkles as much as possible and leaving ends extended over tops of dishes.
- Trim off leek tops so leeks are about 5 inch long. Blanch leeks in large pot of boiling water 2 to 3 minutes until leeks are tender but still retain their shape. Plunge into ice water.
- Cut bottom portions of leeks in lengths the same height as the soufflé dishes about 2 inch. Stand leek pieces on end around inside edge of each soufflé forming a leek shell with white portions of leeks toward bottom of dish. Set aside.
- For tomato gelatin: Sprinkle gelatin over cold water in small saucepan to soften. Puree 16 cherry tomatoes in food processor. Sieve to remove seeds and skins. Add tomato puree to gelatin mixture. Stir over medium heat until gelatin dissolves and mixture almost boils.
- Reserve half the gelatin mixture at room temperature. Divide remaining gelatin mixture among the 4 soufflé dishes. Cover and refrigerate until set, about 1 hour.
- For tomato confit: While molds are setting. In large skillet, sauté chopped onion in hot olive oil over medium high heat until soft.
- Add quartered cherry tomatoed. Cook, stirring until tomatoes are very soft and form a sauce like consistency. Remove from heat. Stir in basil, thyme, white vinegar, salt and pepper to taste. Pour into bowl and refrigerate to cool.
- Herbed cream filling: In small bowl, combine sour cream, chives, salt and pepper to taste.
- Assembly: Reserve half the tomato confit. Spoon remaining confit over set gelatin in soufflé dishes. Top with a spoonful of cream filling in center, then cover with remaining tomato confit. Carefully spoon a layer of the remaining gelatin mixture atop each soufflé. Cover and refrigerate 2 to 3 hours until set.
- To serve: Gently loosen plastic wrap from sides of soufflé with a knife. Lift gelatin molds out of soufflés using extended ends of plastic wrap as handles. Peel plastic wrap from sides. Lift molds of plastic wrap with a spatula and center each mold on a serving plate. Garnish each with 5 prawns and deep-fried vegetables, if desired.

