Tomatoes

Tomatoes to be used in sauces should be ripe, yet firm. Plum tomatoes are best because they have fewer seeds and more flesh than other varieties. However, it is often better to use canned tomatoes in sauces than fresh ones. The best-quality canned tomatoes are San Marzano, a variety especially grown for canning.

Concentrated tomato paste is no substitute for either fresh or canned tomatoes, but it can add an extra dimension to some sauces, increase the tomato flavour and help to bind.

Before they are used in a sauce, fresh tomatoes should always be peeled and the seeds discarded. To peel them, make a small incision in each tomato, drop into a small pan of rapidly boiling water and turn the heat off. Leave for 20–30 seconds (no longer, or they will start to cook) and then lift them out using a slotted spoon and put them into a bowl of cold water. The skin should come off very easily. Cut each tomato in half, discard the seeds and then roughly chop, dice or cut into strips, according to the recipe.