Cooking Coach Terry Farris leads you step-by-step through skinning, deseeding and slicing tomatoes

Skinning tomatoes
Tomato salads, smooth sauces and dishes such as stews and chillies usually benefit from having the tomato skin removed first. There are two methods:

Scorch method: Pierce the tomato on a long-handled fork and hold it over the flame of your gas stove. As you turn the tomato in the flame, the skin blisters away from the flesh. Allow the tomatoes to cool before picking off the skin.

Immersion method: The other method involves immersing the fruit in hot water:

1. With a small knife, slice an X in the skin at the base of the fruit, taking care not to cut the flesh.
2. Put the tomatoes in a large bowl and place it in the sink. Boil the kettle and pour the boiling water over the tomatoes to cover. How long you leave them in the hot water will depend on how ripe they are – the riper they are, the less time they will need, only about 10-20 seconds. If they're firm and less ripe, they'll need longer, possibly up to one minute.
3. When the corners of the X-marked skin start to come away from the flesh, tip the water out of the bowl and immediately fill with cold running water. If the tomatoes are left too long in the hot water, they tend to cook or stew, which makes the flesh soft and squishy. This isn't a problem if you're going to cook them anyway, but makes them messy and unattractive for slicing and serving raw.
4. When cool enough to handle, use a small-bladed knife and gently peel the skin away from the flesh. It should come away easily, leaving the flesh intact. If not, return to the bowl and pour over a little more hot water.

Over the page: Deseeding and slicing tomatoes

Deseeding tomatoes
Many recipes call for skinned, deseeded tomatoes. The seeds have no taste and contribute nothing to a dish except liquid, so taking them out is a good idea.

The best way is to quarter the tomato and either scoop them out with a teaspoon or use a small-bladed knife and cut and scrape them away from the flesh. This method works for both skinned and un-skinned tomatoes.

Slicing tomatoes
Nothing is brighter and fresher looking than a ripe, seasonal tomato, sliced and fanned out on a plate. Drizzled with some good extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and sprinkled with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, it makes the perfect summer salad. Embellish with olives, fresh herbs, capers, anchovies and goat's cheese, serve with crusty French bread and you have a meal fit for a king.

Use the sharpest knife you have and turn the tomato on its side. You can start slicing from either end since you may not want to use the slices from the top and bottom. If keeping the root end, simply cut it away, leaving a hole or circle in the middle.

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