Autumn is certainly the kickoff to gathering season. As cocktail parties, holiday soirees, and potlucks pepper our schedules, we’re often burdened with the question—What do I make?
Chef AJ Concha (a Lincoln Park, New Jersey, native) travels the world creating Michelin-starred meals for celebrities and the upper crust. Using farm-to-table principles, he cooks for professional athletes and recently started working with Chef Ben from the Bravo TV series Below Deck as his sous chef.
With dishes that taste as beautiful as they look, Chef AJ specializes in curating private dinners, food styling, pasta/sushi-making classes, and even weekly meal prep. Need to feed a larger crowd? He does that, too.
Who better to recommend an appetizer that will wow guests, yet be easy enough to create at home? This showstopping appetizer delivers plenty of flavor, without being the same old thing guests have seen one hundred times. Don’t you just love the unexpected? So does Chef AJ.
Consider this bite your new secret weapon. Whether you’re entertaining at home or bringing a tray to a fête, these will definitely disappear faster than you made them.
The only thing left over will be recipe requests.
Ingredients:
2 Heirloom Tomatoes
1 Red Onion
3 Cloves of Garlic
Salt and Pepper
1 1/2 Cups Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Micro Basil
1 Cup Balsamic Vinegar
Parmesan Cheese
12 Tartalette Tins
2 Burrata Balls
1/4 cup Cream
1.5g Agar Agar
Squeeze Bottles
Bruschetta:
To make bruschetta, finely chop the tomatoes, red onion, and garlic, then mix in a bowl with oil, salt, and pepper.
Burrata Cream:
In a blender, mix burrata balls and cream till smooth.
Transfer into a squeeze bottle.
Parmesan Tartalette:
Lay parmesan spread out on a baking sheet.
Bake at 350 for 3-5 minutes.
Once cooled, use a circular cookie cutter to punch out circular shapes.
Spray tartelette tins with oil and place the circular parmesan cut-outs in each tin.
Bake for 30-40 minutes, then remove the tartelettes from the shells.
Balsamic Pearls:
Fill a glass with extra-virgin oil and freeze for 40-60 minutes.
In a pot, heat Balsamic with agar agar until boiling. Place the balsamic in a squeeze bottle and drop it into the cold oil. When the Balsamic hits the oil, the spherification will happen.
Drain pearls out of the oil.
To assemble, place bruschetta into a tartalette. Pipe burrata cream on top of bruschetta.
Top with balsamic pearls and micro basil for garnish; enjoy!
https://www.chefajconcha.com/