Tomate Frito Rustico| Spanish Rustic Tomato Sauce

This Tomate frito could be Spain’s most versatile sauce. We use it in so many ways, as part of dishes, as a base sauce, as a sauce in it’s own right… The possibilities are endless and if you do a decent amount and pasteurise it in jars, it will last you months in the fridge… if you don’t use it before that.

INGREDIENTS

• 3.5 kg tomatoes, into chunks

• 100ml extra virgin olive oil

• 1 Spanish onion

• 1 head of garlic

• 50g brown sugar

• 1 tsp table salt

• 4 tbsp Sherry vinegar

1. In a large pot over medium heat pour the olive oil and fry the onion and garlic for 15 minutes until translucent. Season with salt, pepper, add the tomatoes and fry for 1 hour, stirring constantly.

2. Add the sugar, vinegar and continue to cook for a further 30 minutes. If you do a larger amount you will need to cook it for longer.

3. If you want to pasteurise it, clean and boil your glass jars and lids for 5 minutes. Dry them, fill them with the tomato sauce, close them with the lid and simmer the jars for 10 minutes.

4. If you prefer to have the sauce finer in texture like a passata just blend it until smooth.