Jean-Christophe Novelli's Dressings with seasonal vegetables – Weekend Kitchen

Steve and Lisa are joined by Jean-Christophe Novelli, showing them how to make two easy dressings – perfect with seasonal vegetables.

DURATION 0:09:03

Tags: vinaigrette, Jean-Christophe Novelli,, tv, oil, avocado, asparagus, tomatoes, tomato, vegetarian, vegetables, vanilla,

Recipe - Makes: approximately 500ml

Ingredients

For the Tomato and Vanilla Infused Oil
1 kg plum tomatoes, core removed and diced
2 tsp clear honey
1 tsp smoked paprika
½ vanilla pod (sliced lengthways)
1 tbsp tomato purée
10 basil leaves
400ml extra virgin olive oil
½ lemon, juiced
3 garlic cloves (crushed)
450g Asparagus

For the Vinaigrette de Maman Novelli
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 shallots, finely diced
2 tsp mustard (French or English)
2 tbsp sherry vinegar or mature balsamic vinegar
1 sprig of rosemary
1 sprig of thyme
Approximately 100ml extra virgin olive oil
Approximately 200ml hot water
2 ripe avocados, halved and stoned
Honey, to taste

Method

For the tomato and vanilla infused oil:

1. Heat all the diced tomatoes gently in a pan until they reduce a little. Add the honey, paprika, tomato puree, vanilla and basil leaves and continue to reduce slowly. Once the consistency resembles a tomato pulp, add the crushed garlic and set aside.

2. The next part of the recipe is very important for the best results – be sure not to stir at all. Add the olive oil to the tomato pulp and swirl the pan gently. Cover with a lid and leave to infuse for  a minimum of one hour.

3. Using a fine sieve or a coffee filter, strain the contents of the pan into another bowl and add the lemon juice. The oil can then be stored in a jar for several day and used in many ways.

4. Put the asparagus in a hot pan with a little water and cover. Steam for 1 minute, or until tender. To serve, drizzle the oil over asparagus.  

For the Vinaigrette:

1. Mix all of the ingredients except the oil and hot water, and place in a jar. Then, fill the jar with a combination of oil and boiling water – the quantities will differ depending on the size of your jar, but you should follow a ratio of one part oil to two parts water.

2. Seal the lid and, once cooled, place into the fridge for a minimum of 20 minutes. Do not open the lid until the contents are completely cold. Add honey to taste (optional).

3. Halve the avocados and pour a little vinaigrette into the well in the halved avocados to serve.

Recipes from Simply Novelli by Jean-Christophe Novelli published by Relish Publications