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Tomato sauce (with fresh tomatoes)

When we make a classic tomato sauce, we generally use tinned crushed tomatoes, and that's already very good.

But it's possible to do much better, using fresh tomatoes (when in season, of course), which are gently preserved in the oven with thyme and garlic.
See how in this recipe.

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Last modified on: July 14^th 2024

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For 250 g, you will need:

1 1 kg tomato
2 fine (or table) salt
3 6 tablespoons olive oil
4 2 tablespoons olive oil
5 thyme
6 6 cloves garlic
Total weight: 1,180 grams

Change these quantities to make: 125 g 250 g 500 g 750 g

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How long will it take?

Time required for this recipe:

Preparation	Cooking	Start to finish
31 min.	1 hour	1 hour 31 min.

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Step by step recipe

Stage 1 - 5 min.

Wash, dry and remove the stalk of 1 kg tomato.

Stage 2 - 2 min.

Cut into 4 or 8 pieces, depending on size.

Sprinkle with fine salt on the side opposite the skin.

Stage 3 - 3 min.

Pour the quarters into a large bowl, then sprinkle with 6 tablespoons olive oil (approx.).

Mix well.

Preheat oven to 180°C (360°F).

Stage 4 - 2 min.

In a metal dish, pour 2 tablespoons olive oil, then place a few sprigs of thyme.

Stage 5 - 5 min.

Place the tomato quarters on top, trying to ensure that the skin side does not touch the bottom of the dish (as in the photo), and that they don't touch too much...

Stage 6

...if necessary, have a second course.

Stage 7 - 1 min.

Once you've emptied the bowl, you'll see that there's still a little oil and tomato juice in it. Don't throw it away, just pour it over the tomatoes in the dish.

Stage 8 - 1 min.

Place 6 cloves garlic "en chemise" in the dish between the tomatoes.

Stage 9 - 1 hour

Bake for approx. 1 hour at 180°C (360°F).

At the end of this time, the tomatoes should be candied, softened and lightly grilled on the skin side, as shown in the photo.

Stage 10 - 5 min.

Remove and discard the thyme, but for the garlic cloves it depends on your taste: remove and discard them all, or leave them all or just some.
I, for example, keep half, i.e. 3/6.

Pour the entire contents of the dish, tomatoes and juice, into the bowl of a blender. If necessary, deglaze the bottom of the dish with the tomato juice or 2 tablespoons of water.

Stage 11 - 2 min.

Mix it all together...

Stage 12 - 5 min.

...then strain the mixture through a fine sieve to remove all skins and seeds.

Stage 13

Your fresh tomato sauce is ready...

Stage 14

...store it in a closed jar in the fridge, or freeze it.

Remarks

Now's the time to use tomatoes that are a little ugly, sometimes a little too ripe, but full of flavor. If possible, opt for heirloom varieties, which are always tastier than very red, plump tomatoes.

It's quite important to use a metal pan, and especially not a non-stick one, as you want the tomatoes to caramelize in the bottom of the pan with the long cooking time.

You can also use herbs other than thyme, such as rosemary or oregano.

Keeping

Several days in the fridge, in a closed jar, but also freezes well.

Source

Homemade, after Jean-François Piège

Nutritional information

Whole recipe
Energetic value	Proteins	Carbohydrates	Fats
1,362 Kcal or 5,702 Kj	14 gr	57 gr	120 gr
68 %	5 %	5 %	18 %

Per 100 g
Energetic value	Proteins	Carbohydrates	Fats
115 Kcal or 481 Kj	1 gr	5 gr	10 gr
6 %	<1 %	<1 %	2 %

% are calculated relative to a Recommended Dietary Intake or RDI of 2000 k-calories or 8400 k-joules by day for a woman (change to a man).

How much will it cost?

For 250 g : 5.01 €

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Note: Be careful, these prices are only an estimate, you can consult the table of prices by ingredients used for this estimate.

This recipe uses (among others)

	Tomato: You can get more informations, or check-out other recipes which use it, for example: Bruschetta, Piedmont salad, Cretan salad, Tomato tatin, Italian style gratin, ... All
	Garlic clove: You can get more informations, or check-out other recipes which use it, for example: Pea risotto "Mantecare", Vegetable tartare, Cervelle de Canut, Cured Pork Belly With Lentils, Hummus, ... All
	Olive oil: You can get more informations, or check-out other recipes which use it, for example: Stuffed mushrooms au gratin, Penne with purple artichokes, Creamy cauliflower with smoked salmon, Frichti from Bruxelles, Panzanella, ... All
	Thyme: You can get more informations, or check-out other recipes which use it, for example: Potimarron braised in meat jus, "Au vert" beef, Home-made chilli oil, Preserved lemons, Fried eggs with tomatoes, ... All

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