Roasting the tomatoes with a little sugar before making the glaze intensifies the tomato flavor, and brings out their fruitiness. The glaze is closer to a jam than ketchup, and can be used on cauliflower, squash, fish, chicken, or pork and beef. Add a dollop to braises or a stew of squash, onions, and eggplant.
INGREDIENTS:
4-6 medium tomatoes, seeded, all liquid reserved, cut into 1 inch wide wedges
1 medium brown or white onion, finely diced
1 tablespoon fresh marjoram or oregano, finely chopped
1 small clove garlic, minced
Sugar as needed, around ½ to 1 tablespoon
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil, preferably milder and fruity tasting, as needed
Water as needed
White balsamic or cider vinegar if needed
6 cups, roughly thereabouts, broccoli florets cut into 1 to 1¼ inch pieces
1 lemon, Meyer preferred, for juice
METHOD:
Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly oil the tomato wedges and the season with salt and pepper, and a little sugar. Place on a sheet pan with a lip and then roast for 15-20 minutes. Check and see if the tomatoes should cook a little longer. You want the wedges dried out a little and a bit charred and colored here and there. The tomatoes should smell roasted and fruity. Remove from the sheet pan and pour the liquid into the container with the other liquid. Set the wedges aside to cool.
Heat a medium/10 inch sauté pan over medium to medium-high heat. When hot, add a little oil, heat up, and then add the onions. Cook gently until very soft and turning brown. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant and broken down.
Chop the tomato wedges into small pieces, then add all the tomatoes, including the liquid from seeding and then cooking them. Season with salt and pepper and then scatter some sugar over the contents of the pan. Add the herbs, stir in, and add a couple tablespoons of water. Cook over gentle heat, stirring occasionally with a wooden spatula to prevent scorching, and to break down the tomatoes and onions into a slightly chunky paste/jam. Add water as needed to keep things from burning and to aid in breaking down the vegetables.
Taste the glaze from time to time. It should take on a sticky, fruity, and sweet flavor with a perhaps a little tartness. If the glaze tastes a bit flat, you might want to add a few drops of vinegar to help balance the flavors. One way to tell is to put a little of the glaze into a small cup and drop a few drops of vinegar in and then stir it together before tasting. That should give you a good idea of what is needed.
When the glaze tastes right, if it is too wet, cook a little longer to dry it out, or add a little water to get it looser. Reserve, and keep warm without cooking it more.
To make the broccoli; when you start with the tomatoes, squeeze half the lemon juice over the broccoli and toss to coat. Allow to sit. After you are done roasting the tomato wedges, turn the oven heat to 425°F.
20 minutes before the glaze is done, drain the liquid from the broccoli, and then toss it with just enough olive oil to coat lightly but thoroughly over all. Season with salt and pepper and place on a foil covered sheet pan, sliced sides down. When there is around 10 minutes time left on the glaze, or when it is done if you are not sure of the timing of everything else going on, put the broccoli into the oven and roast 10 minutes. Then use tongs to turn the florets so other parts of the florets come in contact with the pan bottom for browning. Cook another 5-8 minutes, or until the broccoli is tender all the way through, and browned or even a little charred elsewhere, like the floret top. Drizzle with the juice from the other half of the lime and toss to evenly coat. Remove from the pan to a platter and use a spoon or brush to paint the florets with the glaze. Serve hot.
Serves: 4
Source: Chef Andrew E Cohen
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