Tomato fondue is an immensely useful dish. It literally means melted tomatoes. We use it in many different ways, as a vegetable, as a sauce to serve with grilled meats and fish, as a simple sauce for pasta or a pizza topping. The addition of a little chili can spice it up. Varying the herbs can also vary its uses. The cooked fondue will keep in the fridge for several days and it also freezes really well. It is a great medium for gently reheating leftovers such as roast meats and poultry and also as a base for a fish stew.
Ingredients
Serves 6
- 115g sliced onions
- 1 clove of garlic crushed
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil or 25g of butter
- 900g very ripe summer tomatoes(peeled) or 2 tins of tomatoes
- Salt, pepper & sugar to taste
- 1 tablespoon of the herb of your choice; basil, mint, marjoram, coriander or a mixture of the above. In winter a sprig of rosemary or thyme can be added to the tomatoes to add a deeper wintery flavour.
Method
- Heat the oil or butter in a saucepan or casserole. Add the sliced onions and garlic, toss in the heated oil or melted butter, cover, and cook on a very gentle heat until the onions are really soft. (This is the secret of this recipe).
- Add the sliced or chopped tomatoes. Season with salt, pepper and a pinch of sugar. Cover again and simmer gently for about 15 minutes. The mixture will now look like a juicy sauce.
- Now add the chopped herb of your choice. Taste to correct seasoning.
- If you require a thicker sauce (pizza topping or pasta sauce) cook uncovered at a simmer and stirring regularly for about a further 15 minutes to reduce the liquid and thicken the consistency.
- The fondue can be used immediately or allow it to cool completely and store in the fridge for up to three days or freeze in tightly sealed containers.
Uses for tomato fondue:
· Use it to gently reheat left over cooked meat and poultry such as chicken, lamb, pork and beef. When reheating meat and poultry, chop the cooked meat into 2cm dice and bring to a simmer in the fondue to heat through.
· To cook fish and shellfish. With mussels, check that all mussels are alive. This is done by checking that all of the shells are tightly closed. If not tightly closed, tap the shell on the work surface and if the shell does not close tightly, then discard. Rinse mussels in cold running water before cooking and push them down into the fondue. Cover with a saucepan lid and poach until the mussels have popped open. Raw fillets of fish such as mackerel, salmon, monkfish, cod and so on should be gently cooked until just cooked through.
· Excellent sauce for pasta or as a sauce for pizza.
· Add cooked beans and pulses to the tomato fondue to make a simple bean stew. Ham, bacon or sliced chorizo may also be added to the beans. Serve the Tomato and bean stew with rice.
