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| What You Need: |
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1 tablespoon butter, softened, plus 4 tablespoons butter, plus 2 tablespoons butter, cut into ¼-inch bits
½ cup finely chopped onions
½ cup finely chopped green pepper
1½ teaspoons finely chopped garlic
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley, preferably the flat-leaf Italian variety
4 large firm ripe tomatoes, washed, stemmed and sliced crosswise in half
1½ teaspoons salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup light cream
1/8 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
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| How To Cook: |
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1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. With a pastry brush, spread the tablespoon of softened butter evenly over the bottom and sides of a 13-by-9-by-2-inch baking dish. Set the dish aside.
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2. In a heavy 8- to 10-inch skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over moderate heat. When the foam subsides, add the onions, green pepper and garlic and, stirring frequently, cook for 5 minutes, until the vegetables are soft but not brown. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the parsley.
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3. Arrange the tomato halves, Cut side up, in one layer in the buttered dish and sprinkle them with 1 teaspoon of the salt and a few grindings of black pepper.
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4. Spoon the onion mixture over the tomatoes, dividing it evenly among them, and scatter the 2 tablespoons of butter bits over the tops. Bake in the middle of the oven for 30 minutes, or until the tomatoes are tender but not limp.
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5. Meanwhile, prepare the sauce in the following manner: Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a small, heavy saucepan set over moderate heat. Add the flour and mix well.
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6. Stirring constantly with a wire whisk, pour in the cream in a slow, thin stream and cook over high heat until the sauce comes to a boil, thickens lightly and is smooth.
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7. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 2 or 3 minutes to remove the raw taste of the flour. Stir in the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt and the Tabasco, and taste the sauce for seasoning.
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8. With a metal spatula transfer the baked Creole tomatoes to a heated platter. Pour the sauce over the tomatoes, masking each of them completely, and serve at once.
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