Aspic with tomatoes, prawns and avocado the "Battle Horse" in the kitchen of Gretchen Romig Crosti

After the war fish, Lisa's apple pie, beetroot risotto with prosecco and saffron, tomato tatin, baby octopus with black rice, and cold stuffed tomatoes, today it's Gretchen's turn to reveal her "horse". of battle "in the kitchen. The main dish of his family handed down from generation to generation.

This recipe is also collected in the book "My Battle Horse" created by the Italian Friends of TCF Association.

The summers I spent in Kansas in my childhood were hot and humid. My mother made her refreshing aspic for special occasions between July and August, when the tomatoes were ripe and full of flavor. Over the years I have modified this recipe to include my other favorite ingredients.

INGREDIENTS FOR 8 PEOPLE:
• 1 kg of coarsely chopped fresh tomatoes
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon of paprika
• 1 + 1/2 teaspoon of sugar
• 2 tablespoons of lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons of chopped red onion
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 celery sticks with leaves
• 6 basil leaves
• 6 fresh tarragon leaves
• 6 gelatine sheets
• 150 ml of water
• 200 ml of veal or chicken broth, well clarified
• 25 medium-sized frozen or fresh shrimps
• 1 small avocado
• 1 grated carrot
• 10 pitted green olives
• 10 pitted black olives
• 30 datterini tomatoes
• 3 tablespoons of chives
• 3 tablespoons of parsley

PREPARATION 90 MINUTES:
• Put the first 10 ingredients in a large pot and bring them to a boil. Cook for 30 minutes and then pass through a vegetable mill to remove the skins and seeds.

• Let the gelatine sheets soften in 150 ml of cold water. Squeeze gently and melt the gelatin in the still hot tomato.

• Add the meat broth until 1,250 ml of liquid is obtained. Salt if necessary.

• Pour the aspic into a mold with a 24 cm diameter hole and let it cool in the refrigerator. When it begins to solidify, carefully add the horizontally cut olives, the grated carrot, the sliced avocado and the prawns after being seared in a pan and peeled. Distribute all the ingredients evenly inside the aspic, proceed quickly to prevent the gelatin from hardening.

• Put the mold back in the fridge until the aspic has solidified, take it out of the mold on a serving dish and decorate with the cherry tomatoes and chopped parsley and chives.

Enjoy your meal!