ROASTED TOMATO SOUP WITH PESTO GRILLED CHEESE

Serves: 4


INGREDIENTS
Roasted tomato soup
750g vine-ripened tomatoes, halved
250g cherry tomatoes
1 red capsicum, cut into pieces
1 brown onion, cut into wedges
1 whole garlic head, cut ¼-inch off the top (opposite the root end)
3 tbsp olive oil
4 sprigs fresh thyme
freshly ground black pepper & salt, to taste
1 tsp chilli flakes (optional)
1 tsp dried oregano
1-2 cup chicken or vegetable stock (depending on how thick you want the soup)
10 fresh basil leaves
3 tbsp heavy cream

Mozzarella cheese
2 litres full cream milk, unhomogenised
¾ tsp citric acid + 125ml water
2 drops vegetable rennet + 30ml water
1 tsp kosher salt

Garlic mayonnaise
1 pasteurised egg, at room temperature
2 garlic cloves
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 cup neutral-flavoured oil
½ tsp sea salt

Pesto
60g toasted pine nuts
2 garlic cloves
1 tbsp lemon juice
pinch of salt
2 cups basil, packed
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup freshly grated parmesan

Pesto grilled cheese
8 sourdough slices
homemade garlic mayonnaise
4 tbsp homemade pesto
2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

METHOD
For the roasted tomato soup:
Step 1 Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C.
Step 2 Arrange the tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, capsicum, onion, and garlic in a single layer on a lightly oiled baking dish. Scatter thyme sprigs over the vegetables and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Step 3 Drizzle with the olive oil and roast for 45 minutes, or until softened and starting to char.
Step 4 Transfer the roasted vegetables to a saucepan. Add the chilli flakes (if using), oregano, chicken or vegetable stock (adjust based on desired thickness), and basil leaves. Blend using a stick blender or standard blender until smooth. Strain through a sieve if a smoother texture is desired.
Step 5 Stir in the heavy cream and let the soup simmer gently until ready to serve.

To make the mozzarella cheese:
Step 6 In a bowl, dissolve the citric acid in the 125ml water. In a separate bowl, dissolve the rennet in 30ml water. Set them aside.
Step 7 Pour the milk into a medium-sized pot and add the citric acid mix. Warm the mixture over medium heat and stir slowly but constantly until the milk reaches 90ºF/32ºC. Remove from the heat as soon as you reach the required temperature.
Step 8 Add the rennet mixture to the warm milk and stir a few times slowly to mix well. Then cover the pot and set aside for 10 minutes.
Step 9 After about 10 minutes, the milk should have 'set' and be a consistency similar to a thick yogurt or pudding that you can slice through. If you can cut through it nicely in a straight line, you can move to the next step. If not, set aside for another 5 minutes and try again.
Step 10 To cut the curds, It's best to create a grid pattern through the curds, first slicing one way, then the other. Make sure to cut deep into the cuts, by touching the bottom of the pot.
Step 11 Heat the curds over medium heat and stir very slowly but constantly. Try not to break the curds too much. They only need to reach 106ºF/41ºC they will warm up quite quickly (this heating will help the curds to toughen slightly).
Step 12 Remove the pot from the heat as soon as the required temperature is reached. Continue to stir, slowly, for another 5 minutes. During this time, the curds will begin to separate from the whey.
Step 13 Scoop the cheese curds from the pot with a slotted spoon, into a large colander lined with cheesecloth/muslin or a nut milk bag and allow the curds to drain into a bowl (as this whey can be used) for around 5 minutes.
Step 14 Fill up a large bowl with hot water until about 170ºF/75ºC and place the curds inside. Keep the curds in the hot liquid for a few minutes.
Step 15 Finally, remove from the hot water, add the salt and then stretch and fold the curds onto themselves.
Step 16 Repeat until they become shiny and firm (usually just a few folds will do like between three to four — do not overwork it), then roll into balls and quickly cool them in a cold water. If it's hard to shape into a ball or comes apart while stretching, place back in the hot liquid and allow to heat up a little more to shape into the final, smooth ball. Transfer the mozzarella cheese ball to a bowl filled with cold water. Cover the bowl and refrigerate until you're ready to use it.

For the garlic mayonnaise:
Step 17 Place all ingredients (adding the oil last) into the jar that comes with your stick blender.
Step 18 Place your stick blender in the jar and press it firmly to the bottom. Turn it on and keep it pressed against the bottom of the jar for at least 10-15 seconds. Once the mayonnaise starts to emulsify and thicken, slowly move the stick blender up and down to fully combine the ingredients. Set aside.

For the pesto:
Step 19 Place the garlic and toasted pine nuts into the mortar. Use the pestle to crush into a smooth paste.
Step 20 Add the lemon juice, salt and basil leaves a small handful at a time, grinding in circular motions until all leaves are broken down into a paste. This will take a few minutes — be patient, and use a twisting motion rather than pounding.
Step 21 Slowly add the olive oil a bit at a time, continuing to grind until a loose, smooth consistency is reached.
Step 22 Mix in the grated parmesan gently with a spoon or pestle. Taste and adjust seasoning.

For the pesto grilled cheese:
Step 23 Spread a thin layer of the garlic mayo on one side of each slice of sourdough. Flip the 4 slices so that the garlic mayo side faces down and spread about 1 tbsp of the pesto on each slice, then add ½ cup of the mozzarella and top with the remaining slices to form sandwiches, keeping the mayo side out.
Step 24 Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-low heat. Grill sandwiches for 6–8 minutes, flipping occasionally, until golden brown and cheese is melted.
Step 25 Serve hot with the roasted tomato soup, garnished with a swirl of cream and fresh basil.


NOTE

• The leftover mozzarella cheese and garlic mayonnaise can be stored in the fridge for up to a week.