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Classic French Sauce Tomate
An Escoffier-style French tomato sauce built from a tomato-flavored roux enriched with smoked bacon, onion, carrot, and garlic. Chicken stock gives it velouté-like body, while strained tomatoes create a smooth, savory sauce with reduced acidity.
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Ingredients
- 30 g unsalted butter
- 50 g smoked bacon (cut into small lardons)
- 50 g onion (finely diced)
- 50 g carrot (finely diced)
- 1 garlic (clove, bruised)
- 20 g plain flour
- 30 g tomato purée
- 500 ml chicken stock (Ideally homemade; good-quality store-bought stock may be used)
- 400 g tinned whole peeled tomatoes (San Marzano if available)
- 3 thyme (sprigs)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp white sugar
- salt (to season; use a pinch initially and adjust to taste)
- freshly ground black pepper (to season; use a pinch initially and adjust to taste)
Steps
- 1
If desired, prepare the white chicken stock in advance. Set up a fine-mesh sieve or food mill for straining the finished sauce, and use a heavy-based saucepan or conical sauté pan.
- 2
Melt the butter over medium heat in the heavy-based saucepan.
- 3
Add the bacon and cook gently for about 1 minute, just until it renders a little fat. Do not let it color at this stage.
- 4
Add the diced onion, carrot, and bruised garlic. Cook for another 2 minutes, stirring, until the vegetables soften without taking on much color.
- 5
Reduce the heat to low and sprinkle in the flour. Stir thoroughly to coat the bacon and vegetables.
- 6
Cook the roux gently for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it becomes pale blond. Do not rush this step or add the tomato purée before the roux reaches this color.
- 7
Stir in the tomato purée and cook for 1 additional minute over low heat.
- 8
Raise the heat slightly. Add the chicken stock a little at a time, whisking continuously to incorporate it smoothly and prevent lumps.
- 9
Bring the stock-and-roux mixture to a light boil.
- 10
Add the tinned tomatoes, thyme, bay leaf, sugar, and a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper. Stir to combine.
- 11
Reduce the heat to a bare simmer, partially cover the pan, and cook gently for about 40 minutes. Stir occasionally so the sauce does not catch on the bottom.
- 12
Alternatively, cook the partially covered sauce in a 160°C / 320°F oven for 30 minutes for a slightly rounder flavor.
- 13
When the sauce has reduced and thickened, pass it through a fine-mesh sieve or food mill into a clean bowl, pressing gently on the solids to extract the liquid. Avoid pressing too hard, which can force puréed vegetables through and cloud the texture.
- 14
Taste the strained sauce and adjust the seasoning.
- 15
Return the sauce to a saucepan and reheat it to a simmer before serving.
Notes
The sauce keeps in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and freezes well. For a rustic, unstrained version, omit straining, remove the thyme and bay leaf, and blend the sauce with the bacon and vegetables still in it. The source gives two cooking options: approximately 40 minutes at a bare simmer on the stovetop, or 30 minutes in a 160°C / 320°F oven.
Nutrition per serving
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