Tomates Farcies à la Provençale

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •12-inch (30 cm) heavy omelet pan or skillet
• •9 by 13-inch (23 by 33 cm) shallow broiler-safe gratin dish
• •Fine-mesh sieve
• •Small saucepan
• •Serrated spoon or melon baller

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare both tomatoes

   Cut the six stuffing tomatoes in half across their equators and scoop out the seeds without piercing the walls. Season the cavities with half the salt and pepper. Make the concassé (the peeled, seeded rough chop named concass in the source) from the remaining four tomatoes: score their bases, lower them into boiling water for 20 to 30 seconds, cool them in cold water, then peel, halve, seed, and chop them roughly.

2. 2

   Sear the tomato shells

   Heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a 12-inch heavy omelet pan or skillet until it shimmers. Working in batches, set the tomato halves cut side down and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until the cut faces concentrate and their rims begin to soften. Turn them and cook the rounded sides for 1 to 2 minutes more, then arrange them cavity side up in the gratin dish. If they release a flood of juice, raise the heat and give them more room; if one tears, nestle it tightly against its neighbors and fill it carefully. Ça se rattrape.

   A crowded pan cools under the tomatoes and boils them in their own juice. Use two batches so the oil stays hot enough to concentrate the cut surfaces.
3. 3

   Prepare the home jus

   If using actual braised-beef gravy, measure 3 tablespoons and set it aside. For the home equivalent, boil the low-sodium beef stock in a small saucepan until only 3 tablespoons remain, then stir in the rendered beef fat. It should taste concentrated and feel lightly rich, not salty or gluey. If it reduces too far, loosen it with a spoonful of water.

4. 4

   Cook the covered filling

   Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat in the cleaned skillet. Add the onion and cook gently until translucent, about 3 minutes, without letting it brown. Add the tomato concassé, parsley, garlic, and the remaining salt and pepper. Cover and cook for 12 minutes, as the source directs. Uncover and inspect it: the tomatoes should be pulpy but not soupy. If liquid pools when you draw a spoon through the pan, simmer uncovered until the trail remains visible.

5. 5

   Sieve and finish

   Soak the 4 tablespoons of filling breadcrumbs in the consommé for 5 minutes. Press the soaked crumbs through a fine-mesh sieve into the tomato mixture, then rub the anchovy fillets through the same sieve. Stir in the prepared braised-beef gravy or home jus and cook uncovered for 2 to 4 minutes, stirring, until the filling mounds softly on a spoon. The sieving stays because it dissolves the anchovy into the foundation instead of leaving fishy pieces. If the filling is loose, reduce it; if it becomes stiff, loosen it with a teaspoon of consommé. Taste before adding salt.

6. 6

   Fill and form gratin

   Position an oven rack about 6 inches from the broiler and heat the broiler. Divide the filling among the twelve tomato halves without packing it down. Apply the Gratins (No. 268) operation: mix the topping breadcrumbs with the Gruyère, scatter the mixture evenly over the tomatoes, and drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Broil for 4 to 6 minutes, watching continuously, until the crumb crown is deep gold and bubbling in small spots. If the top colors before the tomatoes are heated through, lower the dish one rack and finish at 400°F (200°C).

7. 7

   Rest and serve

   Rest the gratin for 10 minutes so the tomatoes settle and the filling holds when served. Bring it to the table hot or warm, or cool it uncovered, refrigerate it, and serve it cold as the source allows. For the best cold texture, take it from the refrigerator 20 to 30 minutes before serving. À table!

Chef Tips

• •This dish needs tomatoes with fragrance and real flesh. Good canned tomatoes can replace the four tomatoes used for the filling, but they cannot become the six shells; if those are pale, hard, and scentless, wait for better tomatoes or choose another gratin.
• •The anchovy isn't meant to announce itself. Sieved into the crumbs, it supplies salt and depth beneath the tomato, garlic, and parsley. Two fillets are enough, and omitting them changes the dish more than their small quantity suggests.
• •Use Gruyère modestly. The source calls for grated cheese, but this remains a breadcrumb gratin with cheese in it, not a heavy cheese cap hiding the tomatoes.
• •For an outdoor lunch, transport the finished dish well chilled and keep it below 40°F (4°C). Let it lose the refrigerator's hard chill shortly before serving, but don't leave it out longer than 2 hours, or 1 hour in strong heat. A dry Provençal rosé suits it without fuss.

Advance Preparation

• •The tomato shells and filling can be prepared separately up to 1 day ahead. Chill both covered, then fill the tomatoes, add the crumb-cheese topping, drizzle with oil, and form the gratin shortly before serving.
• •For cold service, complete the dish the day before, cool it uncovered, then cover and refrigerate overnight. The crust softens slightly but the filling becomes rounder and holds neatly, which suits a picnic table very well.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 225g)