This is a classic Elizabeth David recipe. ‘A delicious and delicate vegetable dish to serve with white fish or a roast of veal.’

500g firm, ripe tomatoes
35g butter
Salt
Pinch caster sugar
2 tsp tarragon butter

Pour boiling water over the tomatoes and skin them carefully, keeping them whole.

Melt the butter in a heavy frying pan, put in the tomatoes, sprinkle them with salt and a pinch of sugar. Cook on a low heat, uncovered, for about 10 minutes, turning them carefully a few times.

When the tomatoes are soft and the juice is running, add the tarragon butter and very briefly turn up the heat.

Serve quickly before the tomatoes lose shape.

For tarragon butter:

Work together 60g butter, two teaspoons of finely chopped fresh tarragon, a squeeze of lemon juice and a ‘scrap’ of freshly ground black pepper. Store in a covered jar in the fridge where it will keep for several days.