Tomatoes, red berries & ricotta

Discover the recipe from Lyon's Armada restaurant: a sweet and savory salad with tomatoes, strawberries and raspberries, with a zero-waste tip for reusing damaged tomatoes.

This recipe from Thibault Martel and Baptiste Riviè;re, chefs at Armada restaurant in Lyon , is taken from the2024 edition ofBook 109: The new blood of French gastronomy. Discover the ingredients and preparation steps to make it a breeze.

Serves 4
Preparation time: 45 min
Cooking time: 20 min
Resting time: 7 days

Ingredients for thetomatoes, red berries & ricotta

1 kg organic cherry tomatoes in various colors

For the fermentations

1 kg strawberries
1 kg tomatoes (declassified or damaged if possible)
Sal t

For the ricotta

1 l whole milk
1 clove garlic
1 bunch thyme
1 bunch rosemary
juice of 1 lemon
50 cl olive oil
salt and pepper

For the jelly

50 g kombu (brown seaweed)
1 bunch basil
25 cl fermented tomato water
3 sheets gelatin

For the vinaigrette

10 cl fermented strawberry juice
Strong mustard
olive oil
Peppe r

For the dressing

250 g strawberries
150 g raspberries
Basil
100 g hemp seeds
Flower of salt

Steps for tomatoes, red berries & ricotta

Prepare the fermentations (7 days before): in two vacuum bags (or freezer bags), enclose the kilo of strawberries and the kilo of damaged tomatoes with 2 to 3% of their weight in salt. Leave for 7 days at room temperature (approx. 17-25°C). Strain the liquid through cheesecloth (the solid can be dehydrated and blended to make a powder).
To make the ricotta (the day before): heat the whole milk (farmhouse if possible), garlic, thyme and rosemary to 89°C, then add the lemon juice. Whisk and drain in a cloth using a colander. Set aside in the fridge for a few hours. Add olive oil, salt and pepper.
Prepare the tomatoes: blanch the cherry tomatoes in a small volume of lightly salted water. Peel the tomatoes, keeping the skins on, then pack them without overlapping them too much. Keep the cooking water.
To make the jelly, infuse the kombu with the tomato skins and basil stems in 50 cl of tomato cooking water, covered, for at least 1 hr. Strain through cheesecloth and mix with the fermented tomato water and gelatine. Set aside in the fridge.
Prepare the vinaigrette: using a whisk, whisk together the strong mustard, fermented strawberry juice, pepper and olive oil.
Arrange the ricotta in a soup plate, followed by the tomatoes, fleur de sel and a few pieces of jelly. Add the halved or quartered berries, generously drizzled with vinaigrette. Garnish with basil leaves and hemp seeds.

Further information

Armada, 16 rue du Bœuf, 69005 Lyon 5
11/20 in the Livre des 109
Read Gault&Millau's review of Armada

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