Slowly braised tomatoes soak up white wine, lemon and warming spices while keeping their shape. Serve them chilled or at room temperature as a starter, with bread to mop up the fragrant cooking juices.
Tomates à la grecque is a French preparation, not a traditional Greek tomato dish. The name refers to a French style of cooking with Mediterranean spices and a lightly acidic, aromatic liquid. In this version, coriander seeds and fennel seeds give the tomatoes their distinctive fragrance; white wine, olive oil and lemon juice make up the braising liquid. The flavour stays bright and savoury, with a gentle anise note from the fennel and a citrusy accent from the coriander.
Choose ripe but firm tomatoes, such as small round ones that still offer a little resistance when pressed. Very soft or overripe tomatoes will quickly fall apart during braising. This dish comes into its own in summer, when ripe tomatoes are plentiful, but the method also works with firm greenhouse or vine tomatoes out of season. Bear in mind that out-of-season tomatoes are often a little less sweet; taste the cooking liquid after braising and add a few extra drops of lemon juice only if needed.
A wide pan makes it easy to arrange the tomatoes in a single layer and cook them evenly in the liquid. Let the mixture simmer gently, not boil vigorously: this makes the tomatoes tender without splitting their skins or turning the flesh mushy. Turning them carefully and then letting them cool in the cooking liquid gives the wine, oil and spices time to infuse. The liquid should be aromatic and lightly acidic, not syrupy or heavily reduced.
Coriander seeds and fennel seeds matter more here than fresh herbs as a garnish. Lightly crush the seeds so their aroma gets into the liquid without grinding them to a powder. No fennel seeds on hand? Leave them out rather than replacing them with anise; that would give the dish a distinctly different flavour. A dry white wine with fresh acidity works well. Avoid sweet wine, as it can throw the lemon juice and tomato out of balance.
Serve the tomatoes chilled or at room temperature, spooning over some of the cooking liquid and serving them with crusty bread. They also go well alongside grilled fish or a simple omelette, but keep the rest of the meal mild so the spices remain distinct. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator and use them within two days. Don’t leave them at room temperature for a long time; take only the amount you plan to serve out of the refrigerator.
Lightly crush the coriander seeds and fennel seeds with the flat side of a knife or in a mortar. Thinly slice the shallot into rings.
Arrange the tomatoes in a single layer in a wide pan. Add the white wine, olive oil, lemon juice, shallot, crushed seeds, bay leaf, thyme, salt and a few twists of black pepper.
Bring the liquid to a near-boil over medium-high heat. Turn the heat to low, partially cover the pan and braise the tomatoes gently for 8–12 minutes. Carefully turn them halfway through with a spoon; they should become tender but remain whole.
Remove the pan from the heat and let the tomatoes cool in the cooking liquid. Remove the bay leaf and thyme. Cover the pan and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or let the tomatoes cool to room temperature.
Divide the tomatoes among four plates and spoon the cooking liquid, shallot and spices over them. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
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