Sauce Tomat (French Mother Sauce)

February 5, 2016

Sauce Tomat (French Mother Sauce) - kvalifood.com

Makes ca. 1.5 liters

Ingredients

100 g salt pork belly (poitrine demi-sel), cut into small dice and blanched
50 g butter
100 g carrot (~1 medium carrot), roughly diced
100 g onion (~1 medium onion), roughly diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 bay leaf
2 sprigs fresh thyme
60 g all-purpose flour
1.5 kg ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped (or 1.2 kg canned whole tomatoes, crushed by hand)
750 mL white veal stock (or chicken stock)
10 g salt (adjust, to taste - less if pork is very salty)
1 pinch black pepper
10 g sugar
20 g cold butter (for finishing)

Directions

Render the pork. Place diced, blanched pork belly in a heavy oven-safe pot or Dutch oven with the butter. Cook over medium-low heat until the fat renders and the pork begins to lightly brown, about 5 minutes.
Sweat the aromatics. Add carrot, onion, bay leaf, and thyme. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened and lightly golden, about 5-7 minutes.
Make the roux. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir to coat everything evenly. Cook, stirring frequently, for 3-4 minutes until the flour is lightly browned and smells nutty. Do not let it darken too much.
Add tomatoes and stock. Add the tomatoes and stir well, scraping the bottom of the pot. Pour in the stock. Add the crushed garlic, salt, pepper, and sugar. Stir to combine and bring to a boil.
Cook in the oven. Cover the pot with a lid slightly ajar. Transfer to an oven preheated to 175°C (350°F). Cook for 1.5-2 hours, stirring once or twice during cooking, until the sauce is thick, concentrated, and the vegetables are completely soft.
Strain. Remove from oven. Discard the bay leaf and thyme sprigs. Pass the sauce through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing on the solids with a ladle to extract all liquid. Discard the solids.
Finish. Return the strained sauce to a clean pot. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered for 5-10 minutes to reach desired consistency. Taste and adjust salt, pepper, and sugar. Swirl in the cold butter for a smooth, glossy finish.
Store. If not using immediately, press plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate up to 5 days or freeze up to 3 months.

Notes

Blanching the pork belly: Drop the diced pork belly into boiling water for 2 minutes, then drain. This removes excess salt and any impurities, giving a cleaner-tasting sauce.
Fresh vs. canned tomatoes: Escoffier’s original calls for fresh tomato purée. In practice, good quality canned whole tomatoes (San Marzano or similar) produce excellent results year-round and are more consistent than mediocre fresh tomatoes.
Stock choice: White veal stock (fond blanc de veau) is the classical choice and gives the most body due to its natural gelatin. Chicken stock works well. Avoid beef stock - it overpowers the tomato.
Daughter sauces: Sauce tomat is a mother sauce. Classic derivatives include sauce portugaise (with garlic, onion, and tomato concassée), sauce provençale (with garlic, parsley, and olive oil), and creole sauce (with peppers and celery).
Why this is not Italian tomato sauce: The pork belly, roux thickening, long oven cooking, and straining produce a deeply savory, velvety sauce that is fundamentally different from bright, acidic Italian sugo. The stock adds body and depth that tomatoes alone cannot provide.