While the COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating
economic impact globally, few industries have been as hard hit as restaurants
and hospitality. Our restaurant is closed for the foreseeable future, our
events industry has been shut down, corporate events cancelled, and any type of
mass gatherings are no longer able to take place leaving thousands of small
catering businesses struggling to see light at the end of the tunnel
I’ve spoken to so many of my fellow chefs and
colleagues over the last couple of weeks and we are all trying to remain
positive in the knowledge that we will have a huge fight on our hands to
survive this after the lockdown. But I’m sure the hospitality industry will
eventually bounce back from this and, if I’ve learnt one thing from my recent
conversations, it is that our business is full of warm, kind-hearted people who
love nothing more than bringing people together sitting around a table sharing
great food, wine and conversation and receive great satisfaction from seeing
people having a fantastic time in their restaurants. So we will still be here
on the other side of this pandemic, looking forward to welcoming everybody back
with generosity, a warm reception and a big smile.
I’ve also learnt during the lockdown that the
larder starts to look worryingly bare when you've run out of tinned tomatoes.
They are the cook's comfort blanket and one of the most unassuming and
versatile ingredients in our kitchen cupboards. Tinned tomatoes an essential
element of so many recipes and of any number of soups, sauces, curries, tagines
and stews, so if you are one of the lucky people who are sitting on a hidden
stash…it’s time to make a large batch of tomato sauce and get creative for the
rest of the week.
Although I wouldn't say a tin of tomatoes is better
than a handful of fresh, juicy red ripe ones straight off the vine in summer,
not much is, but they do have the power to transform a recipe with their
closeted freshness and vibrancy. Where possible, I would always go for plum tomatoes.
Whole tomatoes tend to be less processed than chopped ones, which means they
have a fresher flavour and keep more of their natural sweetness. Chopped
tomatoes also release more water so whole plum tomatoes give you more flesh and
far more flavour for your money. Also, when using tinned instead of fresh
tomatoes you normally need to counteract the acidity with a large pinch of
sugar.
MY BASIC TOMATO SAUCE
This really is
a simple and satisfying recipe to make. I normally use fresh cor de bou tomatoes, but tinned plum
tomatoes work perfectly well.
Serves 8
Cooking time:
40–45 minutes
Preparation
time: 10 minutes
100ml
olive oil
1 large red
onion, finely chopped
3 garlic
cloves, crushed
2 tins whole plum tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp sherry
vinegar
4 basil
leaves, torn
2 bay leaves
1 sprig fresh
thyme
Sea salt and
freshly ground black pepper
Heat the olive
oil in a heavy saucepan over a low-medium heat, add the onion and garlic and
sweat until they just start to break down, about 3–4 minutes. Add the chopped
tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes, stirring from time to time. Add the sugar,
vinegar and herbs and cook slowly for 30–35 minutes. Pass through a fine sieve
(strainer) and season to taste.
TUMBET
Mallorca’s version of ratatouille,
“Tumbet”, is a wonderful vegetable dish consisting of layers of roasted
peppers, aubergines and potatoes in a rich tomato sauce.
Ingredients: serves
6
6
aubergines (sliced)
4
red peppers
2
green peppers
8
large potatoes (peeled and sliced)
6
garlic cloves (crushed)
200ml
olive oil
500ml
fresh tomato sauce
Fry
the potatoes in hot oil until golden brown. Add 3 garlic cloves and cook for a
further 30 seconds. Remove the potatoes and place half of them in a large earthenware
dish, forming a layer on the bottom of the dish.
Fry
the aubergines in the same oil for 1-2 minutes on each side. Remove and place
then on top of the potatoes to form another layer.
Cut
the peppers in half and remove the seeds. Slice them lengthways and fry them
for 3-4 minutes until soft. Add the rest of the garlic and cook for a further
30 seconds. Place the peppers over the aubergine slices and then top the dish
with the remaining potatoes. Pour the tomato sauce over the vegetables and bake
in a moderate oven for 15-20 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve warm.
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