Although this appears as a chowder visually and texturally, it's a cheeky twist on a classic Spanish tapas dish. Very simply, Goat's cheese toasted over an excellent rich tomato sauce.
Equipment needed: Shallow, small, individual tapas dishes or something similar
Serves: 6
- 4 Shallots (120g), peeled and finely diced
- 4 Cloves of Garlic, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 Large Red Chilli, de-seeded and finely chopped
- Half teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- 1 good-sized (200ml) Glass of red wine
- 1 tbsp Organic Tomato Puree
- 50g Sundried Tomatoes, finely chopped
- 400g Chopped good-quality tinned tomato
- Sprig of Thyme
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 1 tbsp Raspberry Vinegar
- 1 dessert spoon Caster Sugar
- A little olive oil for cooking
- 400g Goat's Cheese log, cut into 6 clean slices
Place a medium-sized pan on a medium heat. Add the olive oil and diced shallots. Saute for 3 minutes until beginning to become translucent. Add the garlic, chilli, and finely chopped sundried tomatoes, sauté and stir for 2 minutes more. Add the smoked paprika and tomato paste, sauté and stir for 1 minute more. Then add the red wine, thyme and bay leaves. Simmer for 1 – 2 minutes to help cook out a little of the alcohol. Then add the chopped tomatoes, raspberry vinegar and caster sugar. Stir well and reduce to a very gentle heat.
Simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has carefully reduced to a rich, thick, velvety tomato sauce.
Cool and reserve for use. When ready to serve the dish, put 3 tbsp of the rich tomato sauce into the tapas dish, carefully place a goat's cheese round on top and bake in a pre-heated oven at 160oC for approximately 10 minutes or until the Goat's Cheese is glazed and the tomato sauce bubbling.
Ideally serve with simple speciality flatbreads.
