LoneGansel

Thanks for that criticism!

It sounds like the general consensus here and elsewhere is that the sauce is good as an accent and way to hold the salsa in place, but the smear isn't worth keeping. I'll take that into consideration the next time I make this.

They were really tasty, and very little like regular tomatoes. The cornmeal breading really worked out well with a shallow fry, though it didn't really stick to the skin/edges as uniformly as I had hoped for.

Unappetizing because it's a smear or due to the texture? Maybe something else? I'm interested in constructive feedback on plating if you have some to share.

Replied to the thread with the recipe. Enjoy!

Thank you, and yes, they looks nearly identical. The only difference I notice are that my shells have ridges while those are smooth.

Per serving

• 100g pasta
• 2 Roma/plum tomatoes
• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Whole black peppercorn
• Salt

Directions

• Bring a small pot of saltwater to boil
• Heat a frying pan (stainless > nonstick, no cast/carbon) up to medium heat
• Add pasta to the pot
• Add peppercorns to the pan and fry until they no longer make noise, then remove them from the pan
• Deskin and deseed the tomatoes, then add them to the pan, being careful to avoid splattering
• Cook, stirring constantly, until tomato pectin begin to gel
• Once gelled, add in the heavy cream and continue stirring until the sauce thickens, salt to taste
• Transfer undercooked pasta to sauce, being sure to bring over starched pasta water as you do so
• Stir to emulsify the starched water into the sauce and coat the pasta as it cooks
• Plate, garnish with Parmigiano Reggiano, and enjoy!

Tips

• To deskin and deseed your tomatoes, use Kenji Lopez-Alt's method. Cut the tomatoes in half, then run the cut edge along a cheese grater to shred the pulp, using the skin of the tomato as a barrier between your hand and the grater. Push the pulp through a mesh strainer to remove the seeds and fibrous bits.
• Pour the tomato pulp into your wooden spoon instead of directly into the oil to help reduce splattering.

Ah, sorry about that! Brian Lagerstrom has a great sourdough bread recipe for beginners on YouTube. It's what I started with before I made this more complicated recipe.

I use parchment paper!

If you've got a starter that rises in 4 hours, you can make this bread tonight and be eating it tomorrow morning.

I use Tartine's ratios, an oven with the light on @103°F, my fridge at 35°F, and a thermometer.

• Preheat water to 100°F
• 30 min autolyze in oven
• 30 min fermentolyze in oven
• 30 min bulk ferment in oven
• Double stretch and fold, then 30 min rest in oven
• Lamination, then rest 30 min in oven
• Preshape, then rest 30 min on counter
• Shape, then cold proof in fridge at least 4 hours
• Preheat oven with Dutch oven inside to 475°F
• Reduce temp to 435 and bake covered for 20 minutes, uncovered for 20 minutes
• Let cool 1.5 hours before slicing
• Store loaf with cut side down to avoid staling

Nah this was my thought too but the stuff you buy in the store straight up skips adding flavoring ingredients in exchange for a longer shelf life and less complicated manufacturing process. Having spent a summer working a temporary job at a local bread factory, I can assure you that the type of bread that they make is engineered for shelf life stability, not for flavor.

Sourdough is acidic and tangy and goes stale in three days. White bread has no taste and has a shelf life measured in weeks.

That looks so tasty!!