Heirloom Tomato Frico Cups

These salad cups are amazing and a sure crowd pleaser.   
What a wonderful appetizer to serve when tomatoes are in season and taste so sweet!

Who needs a bowl, a fork or a spoon when you can use a parmesan vessel with a salty crunch instead?

You will definitely impress your guests!

Yield:12-15 appetizer servings
Level:Advanced 

Ingredients

For Heirloom Tomato Salad

• 1 pound cherry heirloom tomatoes, quartered
• ⅓ cup roasted red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons capers
• ¼ cup roughly chopped parsley leaves
• ½ small lemon, juiced and zested
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• goat cheese crumbles for garnish

For the Parmesan Frico Cups:

• 2 cups grated parmesan cheese (make sure it's fresh cheese - DO NOT use the cheese out of the green shaker, it will not work!)
• zest of 1 small lemon

For Heirloom Tomato Salad:

Toss tomatoes, roasted red bell pepper slices, capers and parsley leaves in a large bowl with the olive oil, lemon juice and lemon zest. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.

Fill the parmesan frico cups with about ¼ cup of the tomato mixture and garnish with more salt and pepper if desired and goat cheese crumbles. Serve at room temperature.

Instructions

For the Parmesan Frico Cups:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Mix the parmesan cheese and the lemon zest in a small bowl.

Place a Silpat mat or parchment paper on a rimmed baking sheet. Using at 2½ inch biscuit cutter, drop 1 slightly rounded tablespoon of the cheese mixture on the Silpat, tapping cheese lightly to form a circle. Place 6 total circles on the baking sheet with 2 inches between each row.

Bake the rounds for 8 minutes or until lightly browned and bubbly. Working quickly and while frico is still hot, transfer the rounds with spatula or knife to a muffin tin and gently press into the tins. If the rounds become too cool and brittle, place back in the hot oven for a minute so the frico becomes pliable again, remove and quickly move to the tins.

Let the frico cool in the tins for 3-5 minutes and remove. Repeat process with the rest of the parmesan.

NOTE: If you make them too thick they will be chewy rather than crispy, and if you brown them too much they will taste bitter. I also find it easier to make a small batch at a time, 6 to 8 on a baking sheet. This allows me to work with them while they are still warm.

(I just removed from oven, let sit for about 10 seconds and picked them up with my hands, placed it over the muffin hole and molded it with my fingers, it turned out to have sort of a ruffled edge.  You could also turn the muffin tin upside down, place the Frico on top of 1 of the muffins and mold). 

*If you have extra frico cups, break into chunks and add to your favorite dinner salad or pasta. Place cups on a cooling rack until ready to serve.

Recipe adapted from Foodiecrush