“The blanc de blanc has enough acidity to match with the tomatoes, and it cuts through the fattiness of the pancetta and the cheese. But it’s also got enough sweetness that you can match with the tomatoes.”
– Ryan Chetiyawardana, author & bar owner, London
INGREDIENTS
Cheese and tomato:
Heritage tomatoes
Lardo, sliced
Salva cremasco (or another aged Italian cheese), crumbled
Sea salt
Black pepper
Olive oil (Ryan recommends a nutty, green oil, such as Planeta)
Bubbles:
20g cacao nibs
3ooml London Dry Gin (Ryan recommends Beefeater, or a similarly citrus-foward number)
15ml rhubarb cordial
Sparkling wine (Ryan used Bruno Paillard 2004 Blanc de Blancs)
METHOD
Slice the tomatoes – some lengthways, some horizontally, some on a slant. Dress them in the olive oil with sea salt and a little black pepper. Layer on a plate with the lardo and cheese interspersed, trying to ensure each person has some meat in their lardo as well as the pure fat.
For the cocktail, combine the gin and cocoa nibs and leave to infuse at room temperature for 20 minutes. Strain when done. To build the cocktail, stir the gin and cordial over ice before straining into a chilled coupette glass. Top with the bubbles, twisting some grapefruit peel over the top. Discard the peel and serve.
If you wish to make your own cordial, combine 500g rhubarb, 200g sugar of your choice, the zest of an orange and 2 star anise in a large pan with 300ml water. Bring to a simmer and cook for 30-45 minutes. Once finished, leave to cool, before straining into a bowl through a sieve lined with muslin. Alternatively, put the mixture in a muslim bag over a bowl and leave it to drip through overnight. Once transferred to a sterilised container, this will keep in the fridge for around a month. Experimenting with aromatics will yield exciting results.
