—Take six good-sized, firm, red, fresh tomatoes; pare the underparts in case anything adheres, wipe them nicely, and slit them in halves. Lay them on a dish; season with a good pinch of salt, half a pinch of pepper, and a tablespoonful of sweet oil; mix well together; keep the tomatoes in as good shape as when cut, then arrange them in a double broiler. Put them on a moderate fire, and cook for eight minutes on each side. Place in a hot dish; spread a gill of maître d’hôtel butter ([No. 145]) over them, and serve.
1026. Tomatoes à la Bock.
—Wipe neatly and peel eight fine, sound, fresh tomatoes; cut each one into six equal-sized pieces, and place them in a saucepan with two ounces of fresh butter, seasoning with a pinch of salt, half a pinch of pepper, and the third of a pinch of nutmeg. Cover the pan, and place it on the hot stove to cook for fifteen minutes. Take from off the fire, pour the tomatoes into a deep, hot vegetable-dish, and send them to the table very hot.
1027. Stewed Tomatoes.
—Plunge six good-sized, fresh, sound tomatoes into boiling water for half a minute; drain, nicely peel them, cut each one into six pieces; put them into a saucepan with an ounce and a half of good butter, season with half a pinch each of salt and pepper, and the third of a pinch of nutmeg. Cook slowly for twenty minutes, and add a very little powdered sugar (half a teaspoonful will be sufficient). Stir well, and cook for two minutes longer; then place in a hot, deep dish, and serve.
1028. Roasted Tomatoes.
—Plunge in boiling water for half a minute six good-sized red, sound tomatoes; drain, and peel them neatly, then cut away the tops without detaching them entirely, and remove the seeds with a teaspoon. Divide an ounce of good butter into six equal parts, and put a piece into each tomato, seasoning with a light saltspoonful of salt, and half the quantity of pepper. Close the tops, and lay them in a buttered baking-dish, moistening each tomato with a very little sweet oil. Put them in a hot oven, and bake for twelve minutes. Remove, and with a cake-turner dress them on a hot dish, and serve.
1029. Tomatoes à la Marseillaise.
—Take six good-sized, firm, red tomatoes; wipe, and cut them in halves through the sides. Place half a gill of sweet oil in a frying-pan; let it heat well; lay in it the tomatoes on the sides which were cut, and cook briskly for one minute. Butter well a tin baking-dish, and lay the tomatoes in this on the uncooked side, and season with half a pinch each of salt and pepper. Make a stuffing with one shallot, finely chopped, two cloves of crushed garlic, two hard-boiled egg yolks, a teaspoonful of chopped chives, the same of parsley, two medium-sized, finely chopped anchovies, and an ounce of butter. Mix well together in a bowl, and cover the tops of the tomatoes with the stuffing, dividing it equally. Sprinkle a little fresh bread-crumbs over them; drip three or four drops of clarified butter over each tomato; then place them in a very hot oven for eight minutes. Place them neatly on a hot dish, and serve.