Basic tomato sauce (jane grigson)

1 litre

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
3 larges Cloves Garlic; chopped
1 large Onion; chopped
4½ ounce Streaky bacon/coppa OPTIONAL
2 tablespoons Butter, lard or bacon fat OR
3 tablespoons Olive oil
1 large Carrot; diced
2¼ pounds Tomatoes; skinned & chopped
¾ cup Dry white or red wine
Salt, pepper, sugar
Dried oregano
Chopped fresh basil

Directions

Notes JG. A splendid sauce, one of the great freezer standbys if you have a glut of home grown tomatoes of a good variety, e.g. Marmande, which are firm all through and full of flavour. Don't bother to use the Dutch and Guernsey tomatoes normally on sale in the UK; a large can will give a much better taste. IMH. If you're planning on freezing the sauce, you may prefer to leave out the garlic, as this can sometimes develop an odd flavour in the freezer. Coppa is an Italian rolled salted pork belly, very like British streaky bacon. If you don't have any wine, you can substitute ½ the quantity of marsala or brown sherry. Anything (or nothing) is better than the so called cooking wine.

Method ====== Soften the garlic, onion and bacon, if used, in the fat. Add the carrot, tomatoes and wine, breaking down canned tomatoes with a wooden spoon. Raise the heat and cook hard, uncovered for 15 minutes, or more slowly for 45 minutes if the tomatoes are canned.

Add seasonings and oregano after 10 minutes. The chopped basil should put in just before serving and a little more scattered over the top.

As a general principle, aim to finish with a chunky puree that is moist rather than watery. If you are freezing the sauce, you will find this the most useful texture. If you want to smooth out the sauce a little, without spoiling its vigorous character, put it through the coarse plate of a moulinette. If you are using some of the puree to to flavour other sauces, e.g. sauce aurore, put it through the medium plate. If you want to make cream of tomato soup, a blender is the thing. Submitted By IAN HOARE On 09-01-95

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