Sauce Tomate (Tomato Sauce, Proportions for 5 litres)

Ingredients

• 4 litres tomato purée
• 150 grammes belly bacon (lard de poitrine)
• 200 grammes carrots
• 150 grammes onions
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 sprig of thyme
• 100 grammes butter
• 150 grammes flour
• 2 litres white stock (fonds blanc)
• 2 small cloves of garlic
• 20 grammes salt
• 30 grammes sugar
• 1 pinch pepper
• Butter

Instructions

1. In a thick-bottomed saucepan, lightly brown the diced blanched bacon with the 100 grammes of butter.
2. Add the Mirepoix of carrot, onion, bay leaf and thyme and, when it has taken colour, sprinkle it with the flour.
3. Cook until a blond colour is obtained.
4. Join to the Mirepoix the tomato purée (or the pressed tomatoes), the white stock, the crushed garlic, and the salt, sugar and pepper.
5. Bring to the boil while stirring; cover, and cook gently in the oven for 1 hour and a half to 2 hours.
6. Pass through a fine sieve or through the étamine.
7. Give the sauce a few minutes of boiling, then turn it out.
8. Dab the surface with a piece of butter to prevent a skin forming on it through contact with the air.