Clear Tomato Soup Recipe

Our friend, Don, was Chef Louis' Night Chef at The Bakery in Chicago. This recipe is adapted from The Bakery Restaurant Cookbook by Louis Szathmary (CBI) Publishing, 1981)

Directions:
1. Prepare 2 quarts of veal stock according to directions.

2. Dissolve the sugar in the warmed butter, heating until it starts to caramelize.

3. Pour 1 quart of veal stock over the butter-sugar mixture.

4.Add the tomato paste and tomato juice. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer.

5. Meanwhile, cool 2 cups of stock and bring another 2 cups to a boil. Sprinkle into the boiling stock the tarragon and dried dill weed. Boil 2 minuted. Strain this stock, removing the herbs, and add liquid into the simmering tomato soup.

6. Stir the cornstarch into the remaining cool stock and slowly pour the mixture into the simmering soup. This will make the soup syrup-thick and clear.

7. Add chopped dill weed, if you have fresh dill.

8. Correct the seasoning of the clear tomato soup with lemon juice, sugar and salt.

9. Pour the liquid from the ripe tomatoes into the soup tureen and ladle the hot soup over it.

10. Serve immediately, garnished with lemon slices.

Chef notes:
1. Chef Louis says that adding sugar to tomato paste and juice helps bring out the fresh tomato flavor and helps reduce the acidity.

2. The addition of lemon juice before serving adds a tang. Using cornstarch instead of flour as a thickening agent makes the soup translucent -- instead of opaque.

3. To ripen tomatoes more quickly, place them in a brown paper bag at room temperature overnight, then place them in a sunny place for a few hours. Cut them crosswise and remove all seeds before blending. If not fully ripe, add an extra tablespoon of sugar.

serves 12