A classic side dish from the south of France, tomates à la provençale are seared in a pan or baked in the oven and seasoned with garlic and dry or fresh herbs. There are many variations for the recipe, this method is simple, fast and tasty while preserving nutrients.
Some people cook this dish in the oven and it’s perhaps the most traditional way these tomatoes are prepared. In this case the garlic is crushed and mixed with dry bread crumbs. My alternative is to just cut the garlic cloves in two to break the seal from the cloves and help them cook, and sear the tomatoes and garlic in a pan. This is faster, easier, and preserves the original spirit of the dish.
My grandparents used to make these while we lived in the south of France. Sometimes my step grandmother cooked them on the grill outside the house, as they did the grilled meats for the same meal. These tomatoes tasted excellent.
In fact, one more anecdote: the French often make tomates à la provençale with tomatoes that are slightly too ripe, getting a little bit old, or that look a bit beat up. Once cooked and with the sauce on top, it is impossible to tell the difference between tomatoes that were originally cosmetically perfect and those with a few wrinkles. Both taste as intended. But this is kind of a secret. The cook would likely not tell you that, unless of course, you are from the family.
These tomatoes make a great side dish. They are usually not enough on their own to make a main meal, but they provide a warm, juicy and tasty side that can match with rice, other cooked vegetables, steaks, mashed potatoes, or a combination of all the above.
Seared tomatoes {Tomates à la provençale}
Ingredients
- 1 large tomato
- 10 garlic cloves
- 1 tbsp avocado oil
- 1 leaf fresh parsley or cilantro/coriander, thyme
- 1 tsp herbes de Provence dry mix
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- salt, pepper optional
Instructions
- Remove the stem scar from the tomato using a sharp knife and cutting it out as a cone, then slice the tomato horizontally in two.
- Chop each garlic clove in at least two pieces, and finely chop the fresh herbs: parsley, cilantro or thyme.
- In a pan, place the avocado oil on high heat. Add the tomato slices and garlic, cover and sear for 4 minutes.
- Turn the tomato slices on the other side and also turn the garlic cloves to cook them evenly and avoid burning. Reduce heat to medium and cook for another 4 minutes.
- Place the seared tomatoes and garlic on a plate, add the fresh herbs on top. Sprinkle with olive oil on top before serving.
Nutrition
I did them today as a side for a natto brown rice, a Japanese and French fusion experiment. It worked.
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