Tomato fondue
Tomato fondue is one of our great convertibles. It has a number of uses. We serve it as a vegetable or a sauce for pasta, filling for omelettes, topping for pizza…
SERVES
6
PEOPLE
PREP TIME
15
MINUTES
COOKING TIME
30
MINUTES
Ingredients
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
110g onions, sliced
1 clove of garlic, crushed
900g very ripe tomatoes in summer, or 2 x 400g tins of tomatoes in winter, but peel before using
salt, freshly ground pepper and sugar to taste
1 tbsp of any of the following; freshly chopped mint, thyme, parsley, lemon balm, marjoram or torn basil
Method
Heat the oil in a stainless steel sauté pan or casserole. Add the onions and garlic and toss until coated. Cover and sweat on a gentle heat until soft but not coloured -— about 10 minutes.
It is vital for the success of this dish that the onions are completely soft before the tomatoes are added. Slice the peeled fresh tomatoes or chopped tinned tomatoes and add with all the juice to the onions. Season with salt, freshly ground pepper and sugar (tinned tomatoes need lots of sugar because of their high acidity).
Add a generous sprinkling of herbs. Cover and cook for just 10-20 minutes more, or until the tomato softens, uncover and reduce a little. Cook fresh tomatoes for a shorter time to preserve the lively fresh flavour.
Tinned tomatoes need to be cooked for longer depending on whether you plan to use the fondue as a vegetable, sauce or filling.
