Ripe tomatoes are the basis of many fine sauces.
Whether fresh or canned, tomatoes can bring a rich and satisfying flavor to many of the world's most-loved sauces. Tomatoes have a knack for bringing out the flavors in other foods, from fresh herbs to onions, and clams to veal. This has made tomato sauces a staple in most European cuisines and many others as well.
French-Style Tomato Sauce
The classical French cuisine contains a tomato sauce, though it is rather different from the more familiar Italian variety. It is made by gently browning finely diced carrot and onion in oil with rendered bacon, then adding flour to make a thickener called roux. Tomatoes, broth, garlic and seasonings are added, and the sauce is cooked until softened and thickened. The cook then purees it through a food mill and forces it through a sieve for an extra silky texture. This sauce is one of the five "mother sauces," used as the basis for numerous variations.
Fresh Tomato Sauce
Peel fresh, ripe tomatoes by plunging them into boiling water for one minute, then into ice water. The skins will slide off easily. Halve the tomatoes, and squeeze out the seeds and watery jelly. Gently saute onions and garlic until aromatic and tender, then chop the tomatoes and add them to the pan. After 10 minutes scoop out the tomatoes with a slotted spoon, leaving the juice behind to thicken. Add chopped basil or oregano and return the tomatoes to the pan. Heat until you can smell the herbs, then serve over pasta.
Marinara Sauce
Marinara is the classic Italian tomato sauce, simmered longer than a fresh tomato sauce but still with a fresh flavor. Use a pot, rather than a skillet, and lots of tomatoes. Gently saute the onions and garlic as above, but add some finely diced carrots and crushed hot pepper flakes. Simmer the tomatoes until they have reduced to a soft, thick consistency, about one hour, stirring every few minutes to prevent scorching on the bottom. Add more water if it dries out. Add dried herbs after 20 minutes, or fresh herbs in the last 10 to 15 minutes.
Other Traditions
There are many tomato-based sauces in other culinary traditions. Spain has several, pairing tomatoes with ingredients that include peppers, paprika and sausage. India has a fine tradition of tomato-based curries, usually built around the sweetly complementary flavor of caramelized onions. Turkey and Iran have built a rich tradition of tomato-sauced dishes in the few short centuries they've been available. Even in China and Southeast Asia, where tomatoes have little history, they have been adopted and used in a variety of sauces by forward-looking chefs.
Tags: tomato sauce, finely diced, fresh herbs, Gently saute, Gently saute onions
