These really are an “amuse-gueule” — when you bite into the crisp caramel coating, the sweet tomato inside explodes with juice. We had the recipe from one of our favourite local restaurants, the Relais du Val d’Orbieu.
100 g sugar
1 tbsp Banyuls (sweet wine — you could probably use port or sherry instead)
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
sea salt
cherry tomatoes
Put the sugar, wine, and vinegar in a small pan, and make a caramel. It needs to be fairly dark, as you don’t want it tasting too sweet. Meanwhile, spear each tomato on a toothpick and have ready a greased tray to put them on. When the caramel is ready, dip each tomato into it, and shake over the pan to leave the thinnest possible coating. You’ll need to reheat the caramel from time to time if it gets too thick. Place the tomatoes on the tray to cool. Once they’re all done, grind a small amount of salt on each one (or you can just sprinkle them with a few crystals). Put in the fridge until ready to serve, and don’t keep too long, otherwise the caramel will go soft.