HungryForever

SAUCE TOMATE [Tomato Sauce]

This good basic tomato sauce is served just as it is, or may be flavored with herbs or combined with other sauces whenever you wish a tomato flavoring. It is at its best with fresh tomatoes, but canned tomatoes or canned tomato purée will also produce a good sauce. You will notice, during its simmering, that it really should cook for about an hour and a half to develop its full flavor.

Ingredients

A heavy-bottomed2½-quart saucepan
cup ¼each: finely diced carrotsonions, and celery
2in Tb minced boiled ham; OR 2 Tb minced lean baconsimmered for 10 minuteswater, rinsed, and drained
3 Tb butter
1 Tb oil
1 ½ Tb flour
1cups ½boiling stock or canned beef bouillon
2cups lbs. choppedripe, red tomatoes which need not be peeled; OR 3canned tomatoes; OR 1½canned tomato purée and 1½water, 4 cups
tsp ¼salt
tsp ⅛sugar
2cloves unpeeledgarlic
4 Parsley Sprigs
½ bay leaf
tsp ¼thyme
1 to 2 Tb tomato pasteif necessary

Instructions

Cook the vegetables and the ham or bacon slowly in the butter and oil for 10 minutes without letting them brown.
Blend the flour into the ham and vegetables, and cook slowly for 3 minutes, stirring.
Off heat, beat in the stock or bouillon.
Stir in the tomatoes, salt, and sugar. Add the garlic and herbs. Simmer for 1½ to 2 hours, skimming occasionally, and adding water if sauce reduces and thickens too much. You should end up with about 2½ cups of rich, fairly thick sauce.
Strain, pressing juice out of ingredients. Correct seasoning. Stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons of tomato paste if you feel the sauce lacks color, and simmer again for 5 minutes.
(*) If not used immediately, film surface with stock or a few drops of oil. May be refrigerated or frozen.