Chilled essence of tomato consomme

On our vacation recently, we had an amuse-bouche course of this chilled soup and it was absolutely divine. The tomato flavor is intense, yet delicate and it’s well worth trying as a lovely summer starter. It’s hard to believe that the clear liquid is actually the tomato consomme.

5 ½ lbs cherry vine-ripened tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 stick celery, finely chopped
1 small shallot, finely chopped
half fennel bulb, finely chopped
1 small garlic clove, finely chopped
2 sprigs thyme, roughly chopped
4 leaves tarragon, roughly chopped
A handful basil leaves, roughly chopped
1 tbsp golden caster sugar
2 pinches cayenne pepper
5 drops Worcestershire sauce
3 drops Tabasco sauce

To serve
4 basil leaves, finely sliced, plus 4 small sprigs
6 large plum vine tomatoes, skinned, seeded and finely diced
good-quality extra-virgin olive oil

 In a large bowl mix all the ingredients together with 1 tbsp sea salt, cover with cling film and marinate for 6 hrs. Then, in a food processor, pulse the tomato mix in batches until roughly chopped – don’t over-chop them to a mush.
Place three layers of muslin cloth, or a new kitchen cloth, over a large bowl and pour the mix into the cloth. Tie up with string and hang in a cold place for at least 15 mins over the bowl to collect the tomato essence. Set aside the pulp. Taste and correct the seasoning, if necessary, then cool in the fridge.
To serve, spoon a quarter of the diced tomato into the centre of four bowls.
Carefully pour the chilled tomato essence around the tomato towers and garnish with the basil and a small drizzling of olive oil.