This is a one-woman production line so here's how it works:
1. Marshal your troops in the form of pans. I don't have the enormous pans that most Italian women with big families do, so a little improvisation is necessary.
2. Check over the fruit.
3. Blanch the tomatoes till cracks appear in the skins. Rinse them in cold water.
4. [The fun part!] Get out new miracle machine and proceed to use. As you see, it did not render the job entirely messless, but it was a lot less messy than getting the skins off with my fingers and then using a teaspoon to get all the pips out! I did such a happy dance when I saw the skins and pips slide down that chute on the side!
5. Spend half an hour working out how to disassemble the machine to clean it [instruction booklets being for wimps].
6. Put all the lovely passata into your largest pan and follow your favourite tomato sauce recipe. I use Keith Floyd's but add oregano and a little 'strattu. Sometimes I put some of the pulp into another pan and add a little chopped red chilli pepper to it, so that I'll have some piccante sauce to hand as well but I didn't today.
7. Simmer for as long as it takes to produce a beautiful, thick, bright red, summer-scented sauce. [I find an hour and a half to 2 hours is about right.] The Sicilians bottle theirs but I freeze mine in small quantities. I processed about 6 kg of tomatoes this afternoon but a friend has turned 600 kg into sauce or 'strattu during this past week! I kid you not!
21 comments:
I'm impressed, you must have an enormous freezer.
Looks delicious!
You've given me the urge to make some myself now.
Probably won't be able to find one of those handy little machines here so s'pose I'll have to make do with fingers and teaspoon.
I like tomato sauce and most tomato flavoured things, but can't stand the actual fruit. It's the sseds I think. I won't even have them with food, or in take aways.
I wonder if my electric juicer would do the job? I must give it a go.I used my Marcella Cucina cookbook last night and tonight. Both recipes were delicious. Last night we had, Sauteed Pork Scallops with scallions and Capers. Tonight,Pork balls with Beans and Tomato, [woops pork again]
Hi, Ellee. No, my greezer is normal sized - part of a fridge-frezer, 3 drawers. I don't keep anything commercially ready-made in it [apart from oven chips!] and I am sad enough to keep an inventory, with the food in categories, on the side of it. [I know - it's the teacher in me!] So I do have fairly efficient rotation of what's in there. Hi, Chris. Glad I've inspired you! I used to make my own tomnato sauce in the UK and it's not too bad if you make small quantities at a time if you have to get skins off and seeds out by hand, I've not seen this type of gadget in the UK but you never know. Do you have a Lakeland near you? IF they don't stock one, they might know of somewhere. Hi, Crushed. I understand 'cos my Mum was allergic to the seeds of everything, so I got used to taking them out when I was quite young.
MM, I don't know if a juicer would do it. I would think it's a bit of a tough job for it. But let me know! It's getting the skins off that's the tough part. Oh, so glad you are enjoying the food from Marcella!
A job well done WCLC, that should keep you going for a while. Does the 600 kg processing lady run a restaurant? Or she must have a huge family. Or sell it. The mind boggles.
Thanks for documenting it for us. I bet you never thought you'd be doing that.
I can smell the tomatoes simmering from here. Wonderful photographs. I love all the red!
I'm with you on instruction booklets, albeit I read one of "those" reports once that said it says 'something' definitive about our personality - they must have needed an instruction booklet to figure out what!
Just a really fun post. Thank you for sharing.
I want one SO much - it can sit beside my brand new (still to be used) miracle steamer. I hate peeling skins off tomatoes, especially if I leave them in boiling water for too long, but I love anything tomatoey.X
You are so crafty! You should have a cooking show.
I'm a BAD Italian. I often buy sauce and pasta pre-made. My grandmother would have had a fit.
Aha....it's all happening there, Welsh! Quite a production line yo You've got going! Good for you!
You'll put it all to good use, too...that I know! :)
I'm cooking creamed potatoes and cheese sause with smoked haddock for dinner, is this something you find on the Italian menu?
Hi, jmb. No, she doesn't have a restaurant but she does have a big, extended family. You're right - I didn't. Thanks, Lady M. The red is kind of cheering, isn't it? That's interesting about those of us who don't like instruction booklets! Hi, janejill. You'll have to come over and get one! Hi, Ruthie. You're not a bad Italian but a busy one! I did a cooking demo once, in the USA as it happens. It was to show my friend's friends how to make chutney. Hi, Lee. It's all sitting in containers of various sizes in the freezer now! Hi, Ellee. Well, as you know, I don't eat any fish. Mackerel is popular and salt cod is eaten at Xmas. Swordfish is also often served in restaurants. You wouldn't find a cheese sauce that's like a British one but of course cheese is in nearly everything.Buon appetito!
Wow! That is a clever machine. How does it do that? Separate the skins and flesh I mean? No, I don't really want you to explain (as I'm sure you know!) as I wouldn't understand!
Tomato sauce is so tasty.
Home made, I love it.
Stupendously amazing how you actually do all this.
Hi, Liz. I dunno - I'm just glad it does it and I talk to it and tell it it's clever! Hi, Steve. Glad you're back. Sir James, I am going to do another crateful next week!
That is a cunning device - of course it just had to be Italian!
Hi, Mark. It is, rather, isn't it? I am bringing it out to play again tomorrow!
Im very impressed!
Sounds delcious! I love sauce.. I love tomatoes.. there is something about tomatoe sauce.. and dipping the bread in just for a little taste while it's cooking!
Yummy! Not the same with leftovers.
M
Hi, M. I think there is something so wonderful about the smell of a good tomato sauce bubbling away on the hob.
Post a Comment