With the arrival of autumn and the first frost, we want to get back into the kitchen to cook up little cocooning recipes. Tomato sauce is one of the essentials and is the basis of our favorite dishes. Find out how baking powder will revolutionize your sauce, as explained by Marc Laslande, chef in Tarn-et-Garonne.
For our pasta, pizza, lasagna, meat or fish, nothing beats a good homemade tomato sauce. But how to be successful? Sometimes too thick, too runny, too bland or too sour… Here are some cooking tips for making a juicy sauce.
How to eliminate acidity in tomato sauce with baking soda?
Everyone knows that tomato sauce’s worst enemy is acid. We simmer our little sauce with love for hours and believe that we will enjoy it. But at the time of tasting it is disappointing, the hint of acidity dominates the rest of the dish and spoils the enjoyment.
To balance tomato sauce, there are a few tips to keep in mind. You should know that the acidity is more or less pronounced depending on the type of tomato and the degree of ripeness. Also note that the seeds concentrate most of the acid, so it is better to remove them for cooking.
The most famous trick that many people already practice to reduce the acidity of the sauce is to add a little sugar. Yes, it works, but in reality the sugar just masks the acid and doesn’t eliminate it. In addition, it can change the taste of the sauce and make it too sweet, not to mention people cannot consume it.
That’s the whole point of baking soda . In fact, as we learn in culinary school, it has the property of neutralizing the acidity of foods and regulating their PH. By adding a few pinches to your sauce as it cooks, you can sweeten it without changing its flavor. You will see some bubbles form on the surface of the sauce, evidence of the chemical reaction taking place. In addition, this is particularly interesting for people who have a weak stomach and cannot tolerate acidic foods well. This also applies to the preparation of your fruit coulis or jams.
If you don’t have baking powder on hand, you can always cook your tomatoes with a nice fresh carrot or date for a natural sweetness that corrects the acidity.
Taste tips for a fragrant tomato sauce
Another recurring problem with tomato sauce is its lack of flavor. Here are some simple tips to take your taste buds on a journey and transport your guests to the shores of the Mediterranean.
1- Choose the right tomatoes : You can make your sauce with very ripe, peeled and crushed fresh tomatoes or canned whole tomatoes. On the other hand, never use the tomato puree as a sauce base. You can simply add a hazelnut at the end of cooking to enhance the color, nothing more. The best tomatoes are tomatoes with low water content and few seeds such as San Marzano, Big Mama, Roma or Juliette tomatoes. Cherry tomatoes are also very aromatic.
2- Olive Oil : Just like you can’t make omelettes without breaking eggs, you can’t make tomato sauce without olive oil. It is the obligatory ingredient after tomatoes, salt and pepper and alone brings the taste of Italy to your plate. It can be used at the beginning of cooking to brown the ingredients and add a drizzle at the end to emphasize the flavor.
3- Garlic and onion : They add flavor and depth to your sauce. Fry them first in olive oil before adding the tomatoes. Be careful not to color them too much or the sauce will become bitter.
4- Aromatic herbs : thyme, bay leaf, oregano, rosemary, parsley, basil… There is something for everyone depending on the taste you want. They add character to the sauce, provided you use them well. Aromatic herbs must be added at the end of cooking so as not to be altered and to release maximum flavor.
5- Cooking : Depending on the recipe, there are different types and consistencies of sauces, liquid or reduced. Cook pasta quickly over high heat in a large skillet for 15 to 20 minutes for a fresh and runny result. For lasagne or a roast, instead opt for a simmered and reduced sauce cooked over low heat in a thick pot with a cooking time of 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Now that you know everything about tomato sauce and its secrets, all you have to do is head to the kitchen to bring Italy to your plate.