peeling tomatoes. yes, it's worth it.

For every person who has ever peeled a tomato, there are millions who would never dream of such a thing.

I learned how to peel tomatoes at, you guessed it, The French Laundry.

Tiny tomatoes.

Sweet 100's. Sungolds. Tomato-ettes.

Tomato skin is like pantyhose. Sheer, almost transparent, and yet truly in the way of what you really want. You want to run your hand up someone's leg. But now your hand is touching some form of plastic turned mock clothing. As the person wearing pantyhose you feel locked in, constricted. Yet proper, ladylike. Even in the bottom of summer? Really? Can you say, honestly, that wearing pantyhose is worth it?

People tell me all the time that peeling a tomato isn't worth it. "Look at that tiny fucking tomato! You're telling me I have to peel it?! Are you out of your mind?!"

And than I peel one for them. Not as erotically charged as peeling someone a grape, but close.

"Put that in your mouth. Look me in the eye. Now tell me it's not worth it."

Recipe for peeling tiny tomatoes:

With a razor sharp knife, make a teency tiny x at the bottom (not the stem end) of your little orbs.

Bring cold water to boil.

Put together a freezing cold ice water bath. More water than ice.

Using a basket strainer or slotted spoon, lower X'ed tomatoes, a very few at a time, into boiling water and count to 5.

Lift tomato out and place it in ice water.

Be very careful. Think of yourself as a heli-ambulance pilot.

Peel away from the x.

Voila! Tiny tomato, peeled.

If you must store them-- make sure they are not sitting atop one another. Single layer only for these beauties. Mustn't muss them once you've worked so hard.

Peeled tomatoes should be savored right away. Store no longer than 8 hours refrigerated.

Favorite quote from the dinner I did the other night with Leif:

Cook: "You peeled these tomatoes?! You really are a pastry chef."

Comments

[Cali]

Finally!!! Someone else who understands. What a relief!

[Victoria]

I LOVE this. Marcella Hazan has a description for peeling (regular-size) tomatoes, using a "sawing" motion with a peeler. I couldn't figure out what she meant until I took a cooking class with her, and she wasn't kidding. I use a "sort of" sawing motion with a y-shaped peeler, and it works without having to boil the tomatoes. It would, however, not work on the little guys co I'll definitely give this a try. After all, I always strain the eggs I'm going to use when I do a bound breading, and I'm not a pastry chef. In cooking I've found it's the little extra steps that separate the men from the boys (so to speak).

[beckie]

Shuna, this is so sexy it hurts :P I'm off to go buy myself some tomatoes at the farmers market!

[Joseph Bayot]

"Tomato skin is like pantyhose."

This line is one of those lines that I wish i had written myself.

Amazing.

Thank you.

[aran]

yes, i have done that too! many times and it is so worth it. i love what the cook told you at the end... so true.

[michelle]

I miss working with a chef that peels cherry tomatoes. It makes a HUGE difference. Worse is being told it's unnecessary.

[Michael Natkin]

I just wanted to tell you that this post has completely wedged in my mind, specifically "Tomato skin is like pantyhose. Sheer, almost transparent, and yet truly in the way of what you really want." I was sitting at the dinner table, idly peeling cherry tomatoes (slowly because they hadn't been poached) while waiting for our 3-year old to finish eating. My wife thinks I'm nuts, but you are absolutely right, it is a huge difference. Tomato skin is ridiculously tough.