The “tomato, mozzarella, and basil” salad is undoubtedly the edible mascot of summer, but what happens when one of the world's most famous and award-winning chefs gets her hands on it?
Anne-Sophie Pic—with three Michelin stars at her flagship restaurant and a constellation of restaurants bearing her name—transforms the simplicity of the Caprese trio into a spoonable appetizer that is as refined as it is minimalist. By playing with textures that are decidedly softer than the original (from the enveloping creaminess of the mousse to the subtle tang of the tomato gelée), her modern recipe captures all the fragrance and freshness of the “evergreen classic”—without, however, a knife and fork!—turning the typical Italian starter into a new experience. “I chose to reinterpret the Caprese by giving it an alternative form,” she explained in an Instagram post. “My jarred version, in fact, combines a delicate mozzarella mousse with tomatoes in balsamic vinegar. The buffalo milk-based mozzarella is a must, because it has a soft, delicate flavor and extremely distinctive aromas: I highly recommend buying this mozzarella.”
We’d like to add that there are different varieties of tomatoes—the chef recommends using yellow and green ones as well to broaden the range of flavors—and that even the seeds can be reused, seizing the “zero-waste” opportunity to turn them into a delicious jelly. The process is complex and requires specialized equipment; however, there’s no reason not to try your hand at dishes that will impress even the most discerning guests at your final dinners in August!
A reimagined tomato and mozzarella salad—the signature Caprese
Difficulty: Intermediate / Advanced
Special equipment: Foam siphon, 2 gas cartridges
Ingredients
For the mozzarella foam:
- 170 g buffalo mozzarella
- 200 ml milk
- 150 ml heavy cream
- ¼ bunch fresh basil
- 0.5 g agar-agar
- A drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
- Fine salt and black pepper to taste
For the tomatoes:
- 5 fresh tomatoes (preferably a mix of red, yellow, and green)
- 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
For the tomato gelatin:
- 150 g tomato seeds (from the 5 tomatoes)
- 2 sheets of gelatin (gelatin sheets)
For garnish and plating:
- 1 buffalo mozzarella
- 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts (finely chopped)
- 4 basil leaves
- Extra virgin olive oil to taste
- Fleur de sel to taste
Method
1. The mozzarella mousse (start the day before)
Infusion (24 hours in advance): Chop the basil and let it steep in the milk and cream in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
Preparation: The next day, gently heat the strained milk, then dissolve the buffalo mozzarella and agar-agar in it.
Emulsion: Blend the mixture with an immersion blender and strain it thoroughly through a fine-mesh sieve.
Seasoning: Season with salt, pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil.
Whipper: Pour the liquid into the whipper, charge it with two gas cartridges, and refrigerate until ready to serve.
2. Petal-Shaped Tomatoes
Blanching: Immerse the 5 tomatoes in boiling water for a few seconds, then immediately transfer them to a bowl of ice water.
Preparation: Peel them and remove the seeds (setting aside 150 g of seeds for the gelatin).
Cutting: Cut the tomato flesh into wedges, shaping them to resemble petals.
Seasoning: Marinate them in olive oil and white balsamic vinegar.
3. Tomato Gelatin
Soak the gelatin sheets in cold water.
Gently heat 50 g of tomato seeds and dissolve the well-squeezed gelatin in them.
Add this mixture to the remaining 100 g of cold tomato seeds and stir well.
4. Assembly and Plating
Base: Pour the gelatin mixture into the bottom of serving glasses (or small bowls) and let set in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Layers: Once the gelatin has set, arrange the marinated tomato petals on top, alternating them with slices of mozzarella drizzled with a little olive oil and fleur de sel.
Finishing: Pipe the mozzarella mousse over the layers.
Garnish: Decorate the surface with toasted and chopped pine nuts and top with a fresh basil leaf.
