In the United States, we think of a Chinese meal as being lots of big dishes that swallow up the table, but that’s only one side of the story. On one of my first trips to China with my family, we went to a place that was well known for jiaozi, the famous dumplings of the northern part of the country. The dumplings were light and delicate, with many different fillings, but what struck me most about the meal was the array of tiny dishes—almost like tapas—that began it. The thing I remember most was a little plate of tomatoes covered in sugar. Sugar! The sweet, crunchy granules played off the tomatoes beautifully, making them the unlikely hero of a memorable meal that helped expand my understanding of Chinese cuisine.
SERVES 4
4 large heirloom tomatoes (about 2 pounds)
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes
DRESSING
½ cup rice vinegar
2½ tablespoons sugar
1½ tablespoons toasted sesame oil
Kosher salt
SUGAR MIXTURE
¼ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon canola or toasted sesame oil
GARNISH
Chopped cilantro
Chopped mint
Freshly ground white pepper
BLANCHING AND PEELING THE TOMATOES
This technique works for all tomatoes, even cherry tomatoes (that’s right, I even peel my cherry tomatoes). Bring a pot of water to a boil. Using a sharp knife, score the round bottoms of the tomatoes. Boil the cherry tomatoes for 5 seconds and the heirlooms for 30 seconds, then remove and immediately transfer them to an ice bath. By the time the tomatoes cool, the skins should peel off easily. Arrange all the tomatoes on a plate and let them air-dry in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
FOR THE DRESSING
While the tomatoes are drying, combine the rice vinegar, sugar, and oil in a small bowl and mix well. Season with salt.
FOR THE SUGAR MIXTURE
Combine the sugar and salt in a small bowl and mix well. Stir in the oil until just incorporated; the sugar should have the texture of wet sand. The oil creates a little “membrane” around the sugar crystals so that they will dissolve more slowly on the tomatoes.
TO SERVE
Cut the heirloom tomatoes into 6 wedges each. Arrange the tomato wedges and cherry tomatoes on four plates and dress each serving with 2 or 3 tablespoons of the dressing. Garnish with cilantro and mint, season with white pepper, and sprinkle each serving with 2 or 3 tablespoons of the sugar mixture, making sure all the tomatoes get a bit of the crunchy sugar. Serve immediately.