The next time you think of making a caprese salad, consider this roasted tomato salad instead. The special combination of both raw and roasted tomatoes, along with bright homemade harissa oil brings an element of the unexpected.
Ingredients
2 pounds | 900 g tomatoes (a mix of small heirlooms and cherry tomatoes), halved
2 tablespoons plus 1/3 cup | 80 ml extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon brown sugar or maple syrup
Fine-grain sea salt
1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds
1 large clove garlic
1 tablespoon harissa
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
A small head of lettuce, trimmed
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°F | 175°C and adjust the oven rack to the top third of the oven. In a bowl, toss about half the tomatoes gently--but well--with the 2 tablespoons olive oil, the sugar, and a couple of pinches of salt. Arrange them in a single layer, cut side up, on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake, without stirring, until the tomatoes shrink a bit and start to caramelize around the edges, 45 to 60 minutes. Set aside to cool.
In the meantime, toast the caraway seeds in a dry skillet until fragrant. Transfer to a mortar and pestle and crush. Add the garlic clove and a pinch of salt and mash into a paste. Work in the harissa, then the lemon juice, and gradually the remaining 1/3 cup | 80 ml olive oil. When ready to serve, gently toss the roasted and raw tomatoes in a large bowl with about half of the harissa oil and the lettuce. Taste and season with a bit more salt, if needed. Serve topped with a little strained yogurt and the remaining harissa oil on the side.
