Veganizing Classic Sauces – Tomato Sauce
Many roads lead to a great-tasting tomato sauce…here are my short and very long versions…plus an angry sauce recipe.
This is part IV of my multi-part series that explains how I veganized five classical French sauces. I previously introduced my take on Vegan Béchamel, Velouté, and Espagnole (brown) Sauces. All are essential sauces to learn if you want to expand your recipe archive. This week, I explore Tomato Sauce – and some significant variations in how to prepare one. I’m not using a roux to thicken my take on the French classical versions. Instead, my method relies on evaporation to create thick sauces with concentrated flavors…sometimes it is quick, and sometimes it takes hours of unattended cooking.
I always have several jars of homemade tomato sauce in my pantry, even though the type of tomato sauce changes during the year.
I use fresh tomatoes and cooking techniques to produce quick sauces when the weather is warm and the days are long. These sauces preserve the freshness of tomatoes – and they are marvelous when coating a portion of gnocchi. When the weather is cool…dark…draped in bone-chilling damp fog…I want to savor a mouthful of intensely-flavored chunky tomato sauce. I want my tomato experience to feel like I’m eating a tomato that was sun-dried on the vine, like raisins instead of grapes. And during those cold, miserable, short winter days, I want jars of rich tomato sauce in my pantry waiting to accompany a plate of steamy warm polenta…or seitan polpette with spaghetti…or to express my mood at whatever is bothering me through a dish of angry Arrabbiata sauce.
So far, in my series on veganizing classical sauces, I have focused on the original sauces by Câreme (the king of chefs and the chef of kings) and modified later by Escoffier. For the most part, I’ve been able to come up with excellent versions of Béchamel, Velouté, and Espagnole sauce. But I’m not going to try and re-create a vegan version of a classical French tomato sauce. I do not mean to disrespect the French, but when it comes to tomato sauce…well…is a roux necessary in tomato sauce? I don’t think so. And every Italian who ever lived wouldn’t think so either.
The Keys to Making Tomato Sauce
Making a tomato sauce involves three essential elements: evaporating the liquid from the tomato, creating texture by breaking down the meaty texture of tomato flesh, and adding complementary taste and flavor elements to the tomato. It sounds simple…and in most cases, making a tasty tomato sauce is not complicated.
Each of the three elements offers choices to consider that dramatically affect the outcome of the tomato sauce. But before considering those decision points, let’s first examine the tomato.
All tomatoes are generally watery. Some varieties contain more jelly-like seed pockets…thicker skin…or meatier flesh. These characteristics affect the flavor of the tomato and, eventually, the sauce's flavor. A tomato’s sugar content and umami character are found in the meaty flesh portion. Most of the aroma compounds are located near the skin of the tomato. And the acidity is in the jelly and juice around the seeds. Removing any of these elements changes the flavor balance of the tomato…and certainly one reason I never bother with archaic cooking instructions that tell the cook to remove the skin and seeds. It’s also why I consider the type of tomato I use to make a sauce, and in general, that always leads to the aromatic San Marzano tomato. However, any Plum or Beefsteak variety also produces an excellent tomato sauce.
The next consideration is the fresh tomato vs. canned tomato discussion. I prefer using fresh tomatoes in most of my sauces. I select fully ripened varieties that do not contain much water – usually a plum tomato. But making a sauce from canned tomatoes is perfectly acceptable if I can’t find suitable fresh tomatoes. In this case, I choose canned tomatoes that use whole, peeled tomatoes, which are much better than watery, tasteless fresh tomatoes.
Now, let’s consider those critical cooking elements in making tomato sauce.
Evaporation: There are three acceptable ways to remove excess water from a tomato sauce: (1) Use a wide pot on the stovetop and simmer the sauce uncovered as long as necessary to allow the water to evaporate, or place an ovenproof pot in a moderate oven and cook the sauce partially covered until it reduces to the right consistency; (2) Puree the tomatoes and strain the excess water into a pot, and cook the liquid over high heat until most of the water evaporates, then add the strained thicker portion back to reduced liquid; (3) Halve fresh tomatoes and roast in a moderate oven until shriveled, then remove the skins and puree.
Texture: Creating a smooth or chunky sauce is all about breaking down the tomato flesh. Smooth tomato sauces are made by puréeing the tomatoes before or after cooking. Chunky sauces usually begin with larger pieces of tomato that are allowed to break down gradually into smaller chunks during the cooking process.
Complementary tastes and flavors: Fresh tomato sauces should be similar to fresh tomatoes. They should have aromas that remind you of a broken tomato stem or a torn tomato leaf. They should be lively with acids and have a background sweetness. And they should be bright red in color. These characteristics tend to vanish during long cooking times or when exposing tomato sauces to high heat for extended periods. Sometimes adding a small amount of sugar or acid to a fresh tomato sauce at the end of cooking brings the freshness back to life. Some even add a few leaves from a tomato plant to a fresh tomato sauce toward the end of cooking, which in theory, revitalizes the fresh aroma notes that were lost during the cooking process.
Long-cooked tomato sauces develop another characteristic of the tomato that is not found in fresh tomato sauces…an aroma similar to caramel. This is the appeal of those sauces that cook for hours; they taste sweeter and develop more of that meaty umami characteristic. For some, this is tomato sauce nirvana.
Preserving Tomato Sauce
I recommend making large batches of tomato sauce whenever possible because the leftovers are easily preserved. All tomato sauces can be frozen. Ensure the sauce cools to room temperature, then portion the sauce into freezer bags. Defrost portions in the refrigerator overnight, then reheat them at moderate temperatures.
Canning tomato sauce is simple. Preheat the oven to 140°C (285°F), then place the canning jars (without the lids) into the oven for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the tomato sauce to the simmering point. Fill the hot jars with the hot sauce and seal them immediately with the lids. Leave the jars at room temperature until you hear the loud pop, indicating a successful seal.
A Final Word
Whatever cooking method or tomato sauce you choose is ultimately a personal decision. I am all about taste…and that usually means a short and curt answer…it depends. It always depends on the type of tomato you use, whether or not you are using fresh tomatoes or canned, how the sauce is cooked and flavored…and ultimately…what tastes best.