Forced Tomatas (English Receipt)

History

This is Eliza Acton's receipt "Forced Tomatas (English Receipt)" from Modern Cookery for Private Families. In the book the tomatas are cut close at the stem, their tops sliced off and insides scooped out; the pulp is pressed through a sieve and mixed with one ounce of fine bread crumbs, one ounce of butter broken small, pepper or cayenne, and salt; the shells are filled, baked ten minutes in a moderate oven, and served with brown gravy in the dish. Acton adds that a few small mushrooms stewed tender in butter, then minced into the pulp, "will very much improve this receipt". She prints it beside a separate, more elaborate "French Receipt" for forced tomatas, and among her other tomata dishes — Roast Tomatas, Stewed Tomatas, and Purée of Tomatas. Here "forced" is the old cookery term for stuffed with forcemeat: the book's own glossary defines "Farce—forcemeat". It does not refer to a hothouse-"forced" tomato — the receipt is simply a stuffed, baked tomato. Modern Cookery for Private Families was first published by Longmans in 1845 and was a best-seller, running through 13 editions by 1853, though its sales were later overtaken by Mrs Beeton, whose book appeared in 1861. Beyond the fact that the dish appears in this book, the historical record does not document who ate it or that it carried any particular social status.

Ingredients

• 8 tomatas
• 1 ounce fine crumbs of bread
• 1 ounce butter
• pepper or cayenne
• salt
• brown gravy
• a few small mushrooms

Instructions

1. Cut the stems quite close and slice off the tops of eight fine tomatas.
2. Scoop out the insides and press the pulp through a sieve.
3. Mix the sieved pulp with one ounce of fine bread crumbs, one ounce of butter broken into small pieces, pepper or cayenne, and salt.
4. Fill the tomatas with the mixture.
5. Bake them for ten minutes in a moderate oven.
6. Serve them with brown gravy in the dish.