Recipe for Food and Directions

Tomato à la Portuguese

Sauce Yield: 4.85 portions (9.7 oz. total yield)

Ingredients

· Tomatoes, ripe, cored and scored: 18.4 oz.

· Shallot, brunoise cut: 0.6 oz.

· Garlic, minced into a paste: 0.2 oz.

· Olive oil, extra virgin: 1 oz.

· Salt, kosher: to taste

· Black pepper, freshly ground: to taste

· Sachet d’épices: 1 each

· Thyme, fresh sprig: 1 each

· Parsley stems: 2-3 each

· Bay leaf, dried: 1 each

· Peppercorns, whole black: 6 each

Prep

· Prepare tomato concasse: Core and score tomatoes, then blanch and shock them. Peel, deseed, and chop to a concasse.

· Cut the shallot into a brunoise cut.

· Mince garlic and crush into a paste.

· Assemble sachet d’épices with thyme, parsley stems, bay leaf, and peppercorns, tying in cheesecloth.

· Create a parchment paper lid cut to fit the saucepan.

Method of Preparation

1. Fill a 3-quart saucepan with cold water until two-thirds full and bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat.

2. Score the bottoms of the tomatoes with a sharp knife. Blanch the tomatoes in the boiling water for 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until the skins begin to peel away.

3. Immediately transfer the tomatoes to an ice water bath to shock them, stopping the cooking process. Once cooled, peel the skins, remove seeds, and chop into a concasse.

4. In a separate saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the brunoise cut shallot and sweat until translucent, being careful not to achieve any color.

5. Stir in the garlic paste and cook until fragrant, approximately 1 minute.

6. Introduce the tomato concasse to the saucepan with the shallots and garlic.

7. Add the sachet d’épices to the saucepan and cover with a parchment paper lid to allow for even evaporation while maintaining moisture.

8. Simmer the mixture gently, allowing the flavors to meld, for about 25-30 minutes.

9. Once the sauce has reached the desired consistency, remove from heat and discard the sachet d’épices.

10. Reduce the sauce au sec, which means to cook until nearly dry, concentrating the flavors.

11. Record the temperature of the sauce at this point, ensuring it is above 165°F to meet food safety standards.

12. Portion the sauce into 2 oz. servings.

13. Calculate the price per portion by dividing the total A.P. price of the recipe by the number of portions: so at as purchased price of recipe being $10, the ppp would be $2.06.

Note: The precision of the brunoise cut shallot will contribute to the elegant presentation and texture of the sauce. The garlic paste should be smooth and evenly incorporated to distribute its flavor throughout the sauce. The sachet d’épices imparts complex aromatics without leaving residue, and the parchment paper lid, a cartouche, ensures a controlled and even reduction of the sauce.

Key Terms

· Blanch: This is a cooking process where food is scalded in boiling water for a short time and then plunged into ice water to halt the cooking process.

· Shock: This term refers to the process immediately following blanching. Food is transferred from hot water to ice water to stop the cooking process quickly. This helps to preserve the food's color, texture, and nutritional value.

· Tomato Concasse: This is a preparation of tomatoes where they are peeled, seeded (inner juices and seeds removed), and chopped to specified dimensions. Typically used for sauces or as a garnish.

· Garlic Cream/Paste: Garlic paste is made by crushing garlic cloves until they form a paste.

· Brunoise Cut (shallot): This is a very fine dice and is one of the smallest knife cuts, of about 3mm or less on each side.

· Sachet d’épices: Literally "bag of spices" in French.