HungryForever

ROASTED TOMATO AND WATERCRESS SALAD

Tomatoes, watercress and shallots – one of the simplest combinations, but the flavours work so well together. Especially if you’ve taken the trouble to slow roast the tomatoes first to intensify their flavour. I sometimes do these in large batches and keep them in olive oil in the fridge for adding to sandwiches or other salads.

Servings

Ingredients

300g cherry tomatoesin a mixture of colours if you wish, cut in half
2leaves thyme sprigsonly
2 garlic clovespeeled and finely sliced
caster sugarfor sprinkling
olive oilfor drizzling
125g Watercresswell washed
½ banana shallotsliced into rings
aged balsamic vinegarfor drizzling
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 150°C/Gas 2.
2. Arrange the tomatoes in a single layer, cut side up, in a baking tray. Sprinkle over the thyme leaves, garlic and a couple of pinches of sugar. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with oil.
3. Place in the oven for 1–1½ hours, until the tomatoes have shrivelled up.
4. Once ready to serve, place the watercress in a serving bowl, add the shallot rings and tomatoes and mix well. Drizzle with a little olive oil and a couple of splashes of balsamic vinegar to taste. Season and serve.

HOW TO VARY THE RECIPE

If you don’t have any shallots to hand, you can use thinly sliced onions. Soak them in milk or salted water for 20 minutes first to make them less astringent.