Last week was rough...so I didn't really have time to write on this blog thing. Today I was thinking that making videos for my blog would make life so much easier! But I'd feel a little awk recording myself talking to god knows who...I'll save vlogging for later when I get WAYYYY too lazy. So! Last week I trussed and completely deconstructed chickens (removed all the meat from the bones). We used the bones to make stock so that was kind of cool. I feel like we waste way too much food in the food industry (and plastic!). Makes me a sad panda :( I'm so sorry world. And after we made those stocks we learned how to make the mother sauces! From there we went to soups. So tomorrow I will be making Manhattan and New England clam chowder...yum....sorry, but I really dislike clam chowder.
I'll write more on that tomorrow. Yuck, clam juice.
Since we learned how to make a few sauces I thought I'd share a recipe with you! TOMATO SAUCE. It is so versatile, so useful, make it. You could make pizzas, calzones, spaghetti, lasagna--get creative with it!
Go gather your ingredients! It might help to have a kitchen scale. I might invest in one soon.
Yield: 1 Quart
- 0.5 oz olive oil
- 4 oz mirepoix
- 1 oz tomato paste
- 1 lb. tomatoes
- 1 1/2 lb. tomato juice
- 1 pint tomato puree
- Sachet (1 bay leaf, cracked black pepper, thyme, chopped parsley stems--in cheesecloth and tied with twine)To begin, you'll need to prep your mirepoix. That consists of 2 parts onion, 1 part celery and 1 part carrot (2oz. onion, 1oz. carrot, 1oz. celery).Now, in a medium-sized sauce pan...put in the oil and mirepoix on medium heat. If it makes a super loud "sizzle!" sound, turn it down a bit, you don't want to burn the mirepoix--you want caramelization. Nice and golden. That color=flaaaaavor!(If you see any little burnt stragglers, take them out! Otherwise you might get a strange burnt flavored sauce...scoop em oot!)Add the tomatoes.We used canned plum tomatoes. You could use fresh tomatoes, that's what I'd do! It doesn't really make a difference since we blend the sauce at the end. Tomato skin? Pshhh imma pulverize it. Tomatoes burn easily so remove the pot off of the heat for a second and place the tomatoes in on top of the mirepoix--not directly onto the bottom of the paUse your spatula (or wooden spoon) to break down the tomatoes in the pan.Cook that until it looks something like this. You want to "dry it out," get rid of the moisture and cook out the acidity from the tomatoes.Add the tomato paste. Again, don't add to the bottom of the pot. And keep stirring! Like I said, tomatoes burn easily! So remember to scrape the sides and don't let anything sit for too long. Make sure you cook the tomato paste long enough, you want to really cook it out...if you don't you'll end up with a sauce that looks more like canned pumpkin...yuuuum
After cooking the paste down with the tomatoes and mirepoix you want to add the tomato juice.Bring to a boil, then as soon as it reaches a boil reduce the heat--and simmer. Partially cover the pot with either the lid, or you can use a pie tin like me! Ghetto style ohhh yeah.
Also, throw that sachet in there when you add the tomato juice! It looks like a lil ghostie! BOO!So now you wait. The sauce needs to reduce, we're getting rid of that super acidic taste...after you reduce your sauce you'll notice that it's noticeably sweeter and thick.The sauce needs to pass the "canal test." Use a spoon and drag it on the surface of the sauce. It should make canals that look like this. If any water or liquid fills the canals it needs to cook longer. Remember to taste your sauce, too! I forget to do that all the time. But serrrrriously, you can taste the tomato acid if you don't reduce this sauce enough so pay attention!Once your sauce tastes right and passes the canal test you're ready to blend! If you have an immersion blender--use it! If not, you can use a blender...just make to blend it in small batches and use a kitchen towel over the top.BuzzzzzzzzzzzI reduced mine down a little more after I blended it because my sauce tasted acidic...bleh! No problem, though, I just cooked it a little longer and it tasted deeeelicious!Enjoy yo saucy goodness :)
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