Tag Archives: rich tomato sauce

Cooking onboard

Rich tomato sauce

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This rich tomato sauce is brilliant for pizzas and tomato based soups. It should feature as a staple in your on board larder.

Rich tomato sauce
click to enlarge
Create the following quantity in advance and you’ll have plenty to store in jars in the fridge where it’ll keep for months and months and months for use with many meals.

Rich Tomato Sauce

1 red onion
2 kg very ripe tomatoes, mixed varieties
200g vine tomatoes
1 tin chopped plum tomatoes
100g cherry tomatoes
1 250/370gm jar of sun dried tomatoes in olive oil
1 large clove of garlic, crushed
1 tsp mixed dry herbs (Herbs de Provence)
Olive oil as required

Preparation

Start by preparing the tomatoes. This will take a bit time but will be so worthwhile.

First, we need to skin them. Make a cross with two small cuts across the bottom of each tomato. Place them, one at a time, in a bowl of boiling water, bottom up. After a few moments you’ll see the skin start to peel from the cross. Lift the tomato out (not using your fingers!) and peel off all the skin.

Repeat this process for all the tomatoes.

Second, you need to de-seed them. Cut each into quarters and use your thumb to scoop out the seeds and non-fleshy bits. Do this over a bowl so all the discard is collected – don’t waste any of it. The liquor this produces is so full of flavour.

Note: If by the time you reach the cherry tomatoes you’re tired, just skin them. There’s no need to de-seed them.

Third, cut the flesh into thirds and add to the bowl of ingredients.

Finally, extract all the juice from the seeds and bits. To do this, pour the bits into a sieve over the bowl of ingredients and press the juice through using the back of a large spoon.

Now, chop the onion finely and fry gently in some olive oil until they’ve become translucent but not coloured. Add the crushed garlic.

After a few moments, add the dried herbs, the prepared tomato flesh, the whole content of the jar of sun dried tomatoes, and cook for 4 hours over a low heat.

There should be enough liquid in the ingredients, but if you need to add some water, do. In the same way, if you need more olive oil, add a tbsp at a time.

When cool, decant into jam jars and store in the fridge. As I’ve said, it’ll keep for months.

Note that we didn’t added any salt or pepper. That’s because this sauce is used as an ingredient with other recipes which, when they’re made, will be seasoned in their own right.

Piers and Lin
from the Galley of
Play d’eau
Fleming 55

You can get in touch with us any time by using our Contact Form.

Cooking onboard

Gazpacho to cool those hot, hot days

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This Gazpacho is just perfect for a hot day when ‘cool’ is needed. It’s so refreshing, so ‘clean’.

(Modified on 3.8.2013 & 17.8.2013).

Making it in these quantities means you’ll have a good number of servings. Any left over can be kept in the fridge for use during a heat-wave, or frozen whilst you wait for the next heat-wave.

Gazpacho
dressed with diced cucumber and shreds of basil
click to enlarge
Ingredients

2 kgs tomatoes, mixed varieties, all very ripe
1 large red pepper, deseeded, pith removed, chopped
1 medium size red onion, chopped
1 large cucumber, peeled and sliced
6 tbsp rich tomato sauce
1 tbsp tomato paste
200ml vegetable stock (or water)
100ml extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 large clove of garlic
3 tsp salt
½ tsp fresh ground black pepper

To Serve

Cucumber, peeled and diced, excluding the pippy bits
Basil, shredded

You’ll need

Large bowl
Large sieve
Large spoon
Sharp pointed knife
Liquidiser or good hand held blender
Saucepan with boiling water

To Prepare

Peel the garlic, slice lengthways and lift out the core, its soul. The soul causes bitterness, the last thing you want in this soup.

Chop the garlic finely, place it in a large bowl and add the stock, red pepper, red onion, cucumber, rich tomato sauce, tomato paste, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper.

Then attack the tomatoes. You need to skin and de-seed them, leaving only the flesh.

To do this, take a tomato, carve out its crown with a pointed knife, and make a cross with two small cuts across the bottom of each tomato. Place them, one at a time, in a bowl of boiling water, bottom up. After a few moments you’ll see the skin start to peel from the cross. Lift the tomato out and peel off all the skin. Provided the tomatoes are very ripe, this will be an easy task.

Repeat this process for all the tomatoes.

To de-seed the peeled tomatoes, first cut them into quarters. Then, using your thumb, scoop out the seeds and any loose debris into a sieve over the bowl of ingredients; the juice you’ll extract from this later will be key to the recipe. Don’t waste anything.

Set the tomato flesh aside.

Using the back of a large spoon, extract the juice from the seeds and debris into the bowl.

Finally, cut the tomato flesh into thirds and add to the bowl.

Mix everything as best you can.

Ladle the mix into a liquidiser and liquidise, but not into a fully fine liquid. Given the quantity you’ve prepared you may need to liquidise in several sessions.

Pour the final mixture into a clean bowl, give it a final stir, taste, and adjust the seasoning if necessary.

Cover with cling film and place in the fridge for 24 hours to mature.

Serve cold from the fridge with finely chopped cucumber sprinkled on top with shreds of basil.

Scrummy.

Piers and Lin
from the Galley of
Play d’eau
Fleming 55

You can get in touch with us any time by using our Contact Form.