Fried Tomatoes with Herbs and Garlic

Preparing the tomatoes

1. To make the fried tomato slices beautiful and appetizing, buy tomatoes of different varieties and colors.

   Size doesn’t matter, but they should definitely be ripe, not underripe or overripe. Some varieties have more dry matter and some are very juicy; any will do. Use whatever herbs you use most often: basil, parsley, dill, cilantro; mint works too. Add garlic to taste. Whether to use chili is also up to you.

   

2. Wash the tomatoes and dry them with a towel.

3. With a sharp knife, cut all the tomatoes into rounds about 15 mm thick.

   Don’t go thinner: they would heat through quickly while frying and release more juice than you want.

4. Sprinkle the sliced tomatoes with a pinch of salt.

Frying

1. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat; sunflower oil works too.

2. When the oil is hot, add the tomatoes in a single layer to cover the bottom of the skillet.

   

3. Fry the tomatoes for 1-1.5 mins, until the cut surface starts to brown and a little juice appears. Then flip the slices and fry the other side the same way, 1-1.5 mins.

   Don’t fry them much longer. Tomato flesh is very delicate and cooks quickly, and the slices stay fresh inside. By the way, tomatoes are often baked in the oven. I don’t do that: they release a huge amount of juice and either just stew or burn.

   

4. Transfer the fried tomatoes to a plate and pour the liquid left in the skillet into a cup or small bowl.

5. Wipe the skillet with a paper towel, add 1 tbsp vegetable oil and, when it’s hot, fry the next batch of sliced tomatoes. Fry all the tomatoes you prepared this way, pouring the liquid into the cup each time.

6. Let the tomatoes cool to room temperature or until just slightly warm, about 15 mins.

   

Dressing

1. The dressing is made from the cooled liquid, which consists of vegetable oil and the juice the tomatoes release during frying.

2. Add 1 tsp sugar (5 g) (level) to the cup with the liquid.

   Tomatoes usually have a fairly pronounced tartness, so you can skip the vinegar. If needed, add 2-3 drops of wine or balsamic vinegar.

3. Stir the sauce until the sugar dissolves.

4. Meanwhile, peel the garlic and the chili, and pull the leaves off the herb sprigs.

5. Finely chop the herbs, chili and garlic with a knife and mix them into the dressing.

   You can also fry the chili and then add it to the tomatoes. Frying reduces the overall heat and makes the pepper taste a little sweet. You can change the flavor of the dressing by adding fragrant herbs; mint works well and adds a certain freshness.

   

Serving

1. Arrange the fried tomato slices on a flat plate. If you like, sprinkle with ground black pepper and a pinch of dried oregano.

2. Spoon the garlic and herb dressing over the tomatoes, spreading it evenly.

   The dish is ready to serve. It can be an appetizer on its own or a side dish for fried meat, but I prefer it as an appetizer. Don’t chill the fried tomatoes; they should be slightly warm or at room temperature.