Classic Slow-cooked Tomato Sauce Recipe
Yield: 1 infoRecipe by luhu.jp
Ingredients:
None,
Directions:
Use fresh-from-the-vine tomatoes. Plum tomatoes are preferred because
they have a higher proportion of flesh to seed and are less watery
and more meaty than regular slicing tomatoes. Because plum tomatoes
have relatively few seeds dont bother to seed them. Do seed slicing
tomatoes or your sauce will be watery and bitter.
When using fresh tomatoes, the first step is to remove their skins.
If you have a food mill, simply pass the tomatoes through it. The
mill will trap the skins and puree the pulp. If not, heres how to do
it:
1. Remove the cores and score an X in the bottom of each tomato.
2. Plunge the tomatoes into boiling water. When the skins start to
pull away, theyre ready to peel.
3. Transfer the tomatoes to a cold-water bath to stop the cooking;
then simply peel away the skins.
4. Halve the tomatoes and gently squeeze out the seeds. Coax out
remaining seeds with your fingers. After the tomatoes are peeled, chop
them coarsely before pureeing them in a blender or food processor.
If you dont have access to perfectly ripe tomatoes, use canned
tomatoes. Experiment with different brands to see which you prefer.
Dont use canned pureed tomatoes; theyll change the taste of your
sauce for the worse. Buy canned whole tomatoes, drain off some of the
liquid, and puree them yourself.
Your onions and garlic should also be fresh. Dont substitute
dehydrated onion flakes or jarred minced garlic. If the garlic is
old, remove the green core, which can make your sauce taste bitter.
Use a good olive oil, but not extra-virgin; the flavor is lost when
heated.
Use dried herbs; they give the sauce better flavor. Parsley is an
exception, fresh parsley is always best. Smell your herbs before you
use them; a strong aroma hints at a strong flavor. Replace old dried
herbs that have lost their potency.
Add dried herbs at the beginning of the cooking process so their
flavors can soften and perfume the sauce. The taste of fresh herbs is
more fragile; stir them in just before you remove the sauce from the
stove, as cooking diminishes their flavor.
Time is the key to a flavorful tomato sauce, and this applies to
sauting the onions as well. Cook them slowly over low heat and
theyll be mild and sweet. Sauteed quickly over medium-high heat, the
onions will have a more robust flavor and so will your sauce. Take
care not to let the onion or garlic burn. Saute the onion first, then
add the garlic and cook just until it releases its aroma before
adding the remaining ingredients.
Cook the sauce at a constant simmer; never let it boil. If your sauce
boils no matter how low the heat, remove the pot from the stove and
let it cool for 15-20 minutes before continuing cooking.
The acid balance of the sauce is a matter of taste; therefore there
is no exact amount of sugar to add. Taste your sauce when it is
finished; if you find it too acidic, add sugar, 1 tsp at a time,
until the flavor suits your taste.
Determining when the sauce is finished is also a matter of taste. When
youre happy with the flavor and consistency, consider it done. A
general rule is to reduce it to one-third of its original volume;
this can take between 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours.
Fine Cooking
Aug-Sept 1995
Submitted By DIANE LAZARUS On 11-11-95
Source from luhu.jp
they have a higher proportion of flesh to seed and are less watery
and more meaty than regular slicing tomatoes. Because plum tomatoes
have relatively few seeds dont bother to seed them. Do seed slicing
tomatoes or your sauce will be watery and bitter.
When using fresh tomatoes, the first step is to remove their skins.
If you have a food mill, simply pass the tomatoes through it. The
mill will trap the skins and puree the pulp. If not, heres how to do
it:
1. Remove the cores and score an X in the bottom of each tomato.
2. Plunge the tomatoes into boiling water. When the skins start to
pull away, theyre ready to peel.
3. Transfer the tomatoes to a cold-water bath to stop the cooking;
then simply peel away the skins.
4. Halve the tomatoes and gently squeeze out the seeds. Coax out
remaining seeds with your fingers. After the tomatoes are peeled, chop
them coarsely before pureeing them in a blender or food processor.
If you dont have access to perfectly ripe tomatoes, use canned
tomatoes. Experiment with different brands to see which you prefer.
Dont use canned pureed tomatoes; theyll change the taste of your
sauce for the worse. Buy canned whole tomatoes, drain off some of the
liquid, and puree them yourself.
Your onions and garlic should also be fresh. Dont substitute
dehydrated onion flakes or jarred minced garlic. If the garlic is
old, remove the green core, which can make your sauce taste bitter.
Use a good olive oil, but not extra-virgin; the flavor is lost when
heated.
Use dried herbs; they give the sauce better flavor. Parsley is an
exception, fresh parsley is always best. Smell your herbs before you
use them; a strong aroma hints at a strong flavor. Replace old dried
herbs that have lost their potency.
Add dried herbs at the beginning of the cooking process so their
flavors can soften and perfume the sauce. The taste of fresh herbs is
more fragile; stir them in just before you remove the sauce from the
stove, as cooking diminishes their flavor.
Time is the key to a flavorful tomato sauce, and this applies to
sauting the onions as well. Cook them slowly over low heat and
theyll be mild and sweet. Sauteed quickly over medium-high heat, the
onions will have a more robust flavor and so will your sauce. Take
care not to let the onion or garlic burn. Saute the onion first, then
add the garlic and cook just until it releases its aroma before
adding the remaining ingredients.
Cook the sauce at a constant simmer; never let it boil. If your sauce
boils no matter how low the heat, remove the pot from the stove and
let it cool for 15-20 minutes before continuing cooking.
The acid balance of the sauce is a matter of taste; therefore there
is no exact amount of sugar to add. Taste your sauce when it is
finished; if you find it too acidic, add sugar, 1 tsp at a time,
until the flavor suits your taste.
Determining when the sauce is finished is also a matter of taste. When
youre happy with the flavor and consistency, consider it done. A
general rule is to reduce it to one-third of its original volume;
this can take between 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours.
Fine Cooking
Aug-Sept 1995
Submitted By DIANE LAZARUS On 11-11-95
Source from luhu.jp