Recipe Instructions:
Bacon-infused Tomato Water
2 pounds very ripe heirloom tomatoes (light color preferred but not necessary)
3 ounces smokey bacon
Chawan Mushi
3 eggs
1 egg yolk
1 1/2 cups tomato water
1 teaspoon soy sauce (white preferred, but regular ok)
1 pinch salt
1 pinch white pepper
baby arugula
reserved bacon, julienned
various cherry tomatoes thinly sliced
Directions
Bacon-infused Tomato Water
Quarter the tomatoes, add to a bowl and mash with a potato masher until the juices are released. Add a small sprinkle of salt and place in a clean dish towel or several layers of cheesecloth and hang over a bowl. I tied mine to a wooden spoon over a bain marie.
It will take a few hours for the water to drip into the container. I gently squeezed the bundle every hour or so and this is fine as long as the pinkish pulp does not start to escape. You want the liquid as clear as possible. (I had thoughts of using the leftover pulp in a quick tomato sauce, but I tried it and have to say it had just about no flavor left. If you want to try though, you could quickly blanch the tomatoes first to removed the peels which will help.)
You should get about 2 cups of liquid. If not, add a little water to make up for it or drink any excess (it's fabulous!). Place the 2 cups in a pot with the bacon and simmer gently for about 20 minutes or until it has a nice, smokey flavor. Remove the bacon and reserve and refrigerate the liquid until the fat hardens and can be removed and discarded. Season to taste with salt if necessary.
Chawan Mushi
Bring water to a boil in the bottom of a steamer. Render reserved bacon for garnish. Strain the tomato water into a bowl and add eggs and extra yolk, soy, salt and pepper. Gently whisk until incorporated. Pour back through fine meshed strainer into 4 ramekins or mugs. (Mixture can be refrigerated at this point for later steaming).
Place in steamer and reduce heat to a gentle simmer. Steam about 15-20 minutes checking toward the end to not overcook. You can test by inserting a sharp knife in the center. The custard should separate and the clear broth will fill the void. If it appears yellow, continue cooking.
Garnish custards with tomatoes, arugula (you can chiffonade grownup arugula if you do not have any micro greens) and bacon bits. Serve with some buttered crunchy toast and any leftover tomato water (if you didn't drink it already).
