A Classic Tomato Coulis or Purée
Plum tomatoes are oval or cylindrical in shape and it is said that they are specially grown to make sauces. They are usually sweeter and have a mild acidity, but a robust flavour which is perfect for making hot and cold sauces such as tomato coulis, paste or salsa.
Which tomato is best for tomato coulis?
They come in different varieties but here are the 2 most popular.
- San Marzano is longer and thinner than the typical plum tomato. Their name comes from a town in Italy where they were first grown. They need a warmer climate to grow and they have fewer seeds than typical plum tomatoes.
- Roma are the most popular and used both for canning and producing tomato paste because of their slender and firm nature.
You can of course also eat them fresh in salads, but while they are flavoursome, they are less juicy than any other variety of tomatoes. Tomato confit is another great recipe for this variety of tomatoes.
If you can’t find plum tomatoes for this recipe, you can substitute them with other fresh, meaty tomatoes or even canned plum tomatoes.
Tomato coulis
Plum tomatoes are oval or cylindrical in shape and it is said that they are specially grown to make sauces. They are usually sweeter and have a mild acidity, but a robust flavour which is perfect for making hot and cold sauces such as tomato coulis, paste or salsa.
EQUIPMENT (click pictures for details)
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 100 gr chopped yellow onions
- 2-3 pcs crushed garlic cloves
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 150 ml dry red wine
- 600 gr peeled seeded plum tomatoes
- 300 ml vegetable or chicken stock
- 1 pc bouquet garni
Instructions
- Sweat the onion with the olive oil over a medium to low heat until translucent.Add the garlic and the tomato paste and continue cooking for 1 minute.
- Add the remaining ingredients, season with salt and pepper and simmer for 45 minutes or until the sauce has thickened.Remove and discard the bouquet garni when the cooking process is finished.
- Transfer the tomato sauce into a blender and process to purée.Pass the purée or coulis through a fine sieve.Adjust the consistency if necessary, by adding some extra stock and season to taste.
Notes
- The classic recipe is made with white wine but for this recipe we are using red wine for a change, it adds a little more tannin and colour to the coulis.
Nutrition for 1 portion
Calories: 45kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 1gFat: 2gSodium: 93mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 106IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 19mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was! #culinaryambition