This is one of the classic French mother sauces and is extremely versatile and can be used as a base for other sauces or just on its own with pasta, fish. chicken etc etc!!!
Ingredients
Directions
- 1
Fry your lardons for approx 5 minutes.
- 2
Add the carrots, and onions and sweat for 5-8 minutes, stirring often.
- 3
Add the stock to the pan and make sure to use a wooden spoon to get all the goodness from the bottom of the pan!
- 4
Add your bay leaves and thyme and bring to the boil and then simmer until the liquid has reduced by 3/4s (this takes approx 15-20 minutes).
- 5
Whilst this is reducing - get your tomatoes ready! Score them and take the cores out, pop them in boiling water for 30 seconds and then plunge them into an ice bath to enable easy removal of their skins.
- 6
Cut them into quarters and de-seed them, then roughly chop them.
- 7
Add them to the reduced stock, and also add the grated garlic, sugar and salt and pepper and bring to the boil, then simmer for 45 minutes to an hour to reduce further and intensify the flavour.
- 8
Stir occasionally.
- 9
Remove bay leaves and thyme and blend.
- 10
Check for seasoning.
Notes
This can be used as a base for other sauces or just on its own with pasta, fish. chicken etc etc!!! Keep up to 3 days in the fridge or freeze for up to 3 months.
