Tomatoes provençales according to Ange

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 8 large, firm-fleshed tomatoes (I use Coeur de Boeuf)
• 3 garlic cloves
• 6 tbsp parsley, coarsely chopped
• 1 dashes lemon juice
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp breadcrumbs
• 1 pinch of thyme
• Sea salt (Fleur de Sel)
• Pepper, freshly ground
• 3 tbsp olive oil

Instructions

Working time approx. 20 minutes; Rest time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 20 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 10 minutes

the traditional preparation, a time investment that is worth it

I copied this recipe from my neighbor. I only like it with summer tomatoes; they should be firm; if the tomatoes are too watery, the result is disappointing. Halve the tomatoes, carefully remove the seeds, salt them, and let them stand upside down on a wire rack for about 30 minutes. Place a plate underneath, as the tomatoes will release their liquid. For the persillade, first finely slice and chop the garlic cloves, gradually adding the roughly chopped parsley, breadcrumbs, and thyme. Stir in the lemon juice and olive oil, and add a little salt. The mixture shouldn’t be mushy. Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a pan, place the tomatoes cut-side down in the pan, and fry over high heat until all the liquid has evaporated and a light crust has formed. Reduce the heat, turn the tomatoes over, and fry over low heat for a few more minutes, shaking them occasionally to prevent them from sticking. Then place the tomatoes cut-side up in an ovenproof dish, season with salt and pepper again, and fill with the persillade. Sprinkle some breadcrumbs around the tomatoes and over the persillade, drizzle with a little olive oil, and bake at 190°C for about 10 minutes, until the persillade has a nice brown color. It’s a great side dish for fish and meat. I like to eat the tomatoes for dinner with some white bread.