Introduction: Bite Size Caprese Using Tomato and Balsamic "Caviar"

About: I am a 17 year old vegetarian and I love animals. I enjoy cooking, photography, singing, reading, playing the cello, the piano and fencing. I am fluent in American Sign Language and I am learning french. I lov…

This recipe is pretty simple. I am an amateur when it comes to molecular gastronomy but was still able to make this recipe well. I have had this idea for a while and I hope you all enjoy the recipe.

Step 1: Ingredients

Ingredients
3 roma tomatoes
French Bread or Baguette
Fresh Mozzarella Pearls (Available at most stores but if you can't find it you can just scoop soft mozzarella)
Basil
Agar Agar (I used the Flakes that are  $8 at Whole Foods but you can also order them online)
3/4 cup of Balsamic Vinegar

Materials
2 Jars 
Syringe large enough to hold approx. 2 tsp. (10ml)

Step 2:

Take a jar and fill it with olive oil. Allow it to sit in a freezer for 30 minutes.

Step 3: Remove the Skin From the Tomatoes

The first step to removing the skin from the tomatoes is to cut out the area of the tomato where it attaches to the stem, then cut an x on the top of the tomato. Next fill a small pan with water and bring it to a boil. Make sure you have a bowl filled with ice and water next to your pan. Then put your tomatoes in for 15 seconds and remove. Next place the tomatoes in the cold water. After this the skin should be easy to remove. Place tomatoes in Blender for 15 seconds and then strain until all the seeds have been removed. 

Step 4: Making the Caviar

To make the caviar, boil the balsamic. After it is boiling add about 1 table spoon of agar agar to the balsamic vinegar. Stir it for about 3 minutes. Repeat step with the tomato juice. Then remove olive oil from freezer.

Step 5: Making the Caviar

For this step take the syringe and fill it with either the tomato or balsamic vinegar mixture. Hold it parallel to the ground above the jar of cold olive oil and push out a little of the mixture at a time. Then take a spoon full of the caviar and transfer to another jar that is filled with cold water.  The tomato caviar will turn out a little lumpy but they taste fine. Try not to do too many at one time or they will all stick together. After you have put all your caviar in the water, strain it. 

Step 6: Assembling the Caprese

Take a small piece of bread  (I cut mine into squares but any shape is ok) and put a small piece of basil on top. Next put a mozzarella pearl on top of the basil and then add about 15 balsamic and tomato pearls.

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