The ultimate tomato sauce topic

[JoNorvelleWalker]

I've been adding a bit of anchovy to my recent tomato sauces and I agree with the positive results.  Years ago I used to use a dash of Worcestershire but as with so many good things got heavy handed and eventually gave it up.

 

[Nancy in Pátzcuaro]

Some years ago a friend told me her favorite--and possibly easiest--tomato sauce recipe. Thickly slice ripe tomatoes (any type) and layer in a casserole with anchovies, many or few depending on your preference. (I use a 2-oz. can (in oil) for a 9-10" round deep casserole.) Cover with foil and bake slowly in a 300 or 325 oven until the tomatoes are thick and jammy. Taste for salt. The beauty part is that you don't even have to stir. Of course the anchovies disappear.

 

But I also love Macella Hazan's recipe, which is almost as easy but faster.

 

Nancy in Pátzcuaro

[Duvel]

52 minutes ago, Wolf said:

Sorry for 'necroposting', but I've come accross what was told to be old Italian trick- adding salted anchovy to the sauce (apparently, it has sound scientific basis- something to do with glutamates from tomato flavour-wise pairing well with amino acids from anchovy), and I cannot recommend it highly enough. I was making local tomato based dish (sauteed onions, peppers and simmered in tomato sauce) called sataraš, and decided to give that tip a go- finely chopping a small anchovy fillet preserved in oil and adding it with tomatoes. It really did pick up the whole dish and made the flavour more rounded and savoury, with no hint of 'fishy' taste at all. I'd say it's definitly worth a try (I presume the only thing is that the sauce needs to simmer quite a bit for anchovy do dissolve).

 

Fish sauce as salt substitute yields pretty similar results. 

[Nancy in Pátzcuaro]

16 minutes ago, Duvel said:

 

Fish sauce as salt substitute yields pretty similar results. 

Good point!

 

N. in P.

[heidih]

1 hour ago, Wolf said:

Sorry for 'necroposting', but I've come accross what was told to be old Italian trick- adding salted anchovy to the sauce (apparently, it has sound scientific basis- something to do with glutamates from tomato flavour-wise pairing well with amino acids from anchovy), and I cannot recommend it highly enough. I was making local tomato based dish (sauteed onions, peppers and simmered in tomato sauce) called sataraš, and decided to give that tip a go- finely chopping a small anchovy fillet preserved in oil and adding it with tomatoes. It really did pick up the whole dish and made the flavour more rounded and savoury, with no hint of 'fishy' taste at all. I'd say it's definitly worth a try (I presume the only thing is that the sauce needs to simmer quite a bit for anchovy do dissolve).

 

Oh yes I use Asian sauce with tomato all the time. Magical.