June 2017 Monthly Recipe/Skye Gyngell’s Aqua Cotta

Aqua cotta translated simply means hot water. It’s a delicious way to use up scraps of bread, over ripe tomatoes and vegetable stalks and tips. It’s one indulgence is a lick of the very best extra virgin olive oil.

Serves 4

4 slices of good quality stale bread

6 x over ripe or slightly bruised tomatoes

3 cloves of garlic

1 x dried red chilli

Any stalks or leaves of green vegetables such as broccoli, asparagus, radish, beetroot or turnip tops

Any herbs such as thyme, Rosemary, sage or parsley

Extra virgin olive oil

A little pecorino or Parmesan.

Sea salt

Place a pot large enough to hold all the ingredients comfortably over a medium heat and add a small glug of olive oil. Once the oil is warm add the garlic and dried chilli and half of the herbs your are using.

Roughly chop the tomatoes and add. Cook for 15 mins, turn down the heat and add a cup of water. Cook for a further 20 mins, then roughly chop and add any vegetables you are using and the rest of the herbs.

Keep cooking until the veg are just tender. Tear the bread and add to the pot. Season generously with salt. Drizzle over the olive oil (be generous) and ladle into warm bowls. Finish with a little Parmesan or pecorino and serve.