Celebrity cook Nigella Lawson has delighted her social media followers with a brilliant tip for transforming tomatoes, which she calls “Moonblush” tomatoes. Taking to Instagram, the culinary star revealed her method for enhancing the flavour of tomatoes without actually cooking them.
She posted: “Excess Tomato Alert* #RecipeOfTheDay is Moonblush Tomatoes; you put them in a hot oven, turn it off, and let them sweeten and intensify in the residual heat overnight. *Not that you need a glut of tomatoes to make these, but it’s a particularly helpful recipe if you have.”
Fans were quick to express their appreciation for the clever technique. One fan said: “This is one of my favourites from your book and I’ve been doing it with absolute joy every time for years.”
Another said: “I make these all the time – never a wasted tomato in our house.” Another said the recipe makes a lovely tomato sauce, reports the Mirror.
Nigella also shared her personal twist on the dish, which she describes as a “homespun version” of sunblush tomatoes, on her Instagram account. She recommends halving cherry tomatoes and seasoning them with herbs, sugar, salt, and olive oil before placing them in an oven that’s been preheated and then turned off.
Simply leave the tomatoes to dry out overnight, allowing their flavour and sweetness to develop. “The taste of even disappointing tomatoes becomes, transformed this way, bright and intense. Think very essence of tomato. Eat in salads, alongside cheese, in pasta or however you wish,” Nigella wrote on her website.
The cooked tomatoes can be stored in the fridge for up to five days in an airtight container, but they’re best served at room temperature, so remove them a few hours before serving to let them warm up. Nigella’s food hacks have been a hit with her Instagram followers, with her tip for using frozen broccoli to make a delicious, rich soup garnering thousands of likes earlier this year.
“I made this yesterday.. amazing winter warming comfort in a bowl,” one commenter raved.