Method

*Note: South Louisiana's Creole tomatoes are preferred for this recipe, although other good, peak-of-season regional varieties can be used also.

To prepare tomatoes:

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Rinse the tomatoes and roast them in the oven on a rimmed baking sheet, core side down, until the skin starts to separate from the tomato pulp but hasn't yet burst open, 20 to 25 minutes.

Remove the tomatoes from the oven and set aside until cool enough to handle.

Peel and core the tomatoes, holding them over a bowl to catch the juice.  Chop the pulp and add it to the juice.  If prepared ahead, refrigerate in a covered container.

To Prepare the butter sauce:

In a heavy, nonreactive 5 1/2 quart saucepan, heat the olive oil over high heat until hot, about two minutes.  Add the shallots and cook until soft, about three minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the vermouth and vinegar and cook until the liquid in the mixture reduces by half, one to two minutes.

Add the cream, then drain the tomatoes and add them to the pan, mixing well.

Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cook until the mixture reduces by about half and is fairly thick, eight to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  (The time will vary according to how juicy the tomatoes are.)

Add the butter cubes one at a time, constantly whisking until all of the butter is incorporated into the sauce.  Each addition of butter should be almost completely melted in before adding more.  This will take 10 to 15 minutes total.  Remove from heat and whisk in the kosher salt and pepper.

Serving suggestions:  If not serving the sauce immediately, transfer it to the top of a double boiler, and serve as soon as possible (definitely within two hours), keeping the sauce warm, uncovered, over hot (not simmering) water.

Yields 4 cups.

This sauce is used on Brennan's Crabmeat & Eggplant "Cannelloni" but Ralph Brennan tells us that it is also delicious with mussels and other seafood, and all types of pasta.

Reprinted with permission from ©Ralph O. Brennan, Ralph Brennan's New Orleans Seafood Cookbook, published  by Vissi D'Arte Books click for book review

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