Provencal Sauce Recipes

Steps:

• finely chop the garlic, and slice the onions. Add to a pan and sweat.
• Add the tomatos, white wine and mixed herbs and simmer until a sauce consistancy
• For a reallly fine sauce just put through a blender. But it is best left chunky for pasta sauce

Steps:

• In a large heavy pot, heat the oil over medium-low heat. Add the onions, sprinkle with salt and cook slowly for about 10 minutes, until tender but not browned. Sprinkle on the flour and cook slowly for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally; do not brown.
• Meanwhile, fit a food processor with the coarse grating blade. Working in batches to avoid overfilling the machine, push the tomatoes through the feed tube to make a coarse purée.
• Stir the tomatoes, sugar, garlic, herb bouquet, fennel, basil, saffron, coriander, orange peel and 1 teaspoon salt into the pot. Cover and cook slowly for 10 minutes, so the tomatoes will render more of their juice. Then uncover and simmer for about an hour, until thick. The sauce is done when it tastes thoroughly cooked and is thick enough to form a mass in the spoon. Remove herb bouquet and taste. Season with salt, pepper, sugar and tomato paste, and simmer two minutes more. The sauce may be used immediately, refrigerated or frozen for up to 6 months.

Steps:

• For the sauce, heat the olive oil in a large (12-inch) saute pan. Add the onions, fennel, bell peppers, and garlic and cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft. Put the tomatoes with their juices in a food processor fitted with the steel blade and pulse several times, until very large diced. Add the tomatoes to the sauce, then the chicken stock, white wine, anchovies, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Simmer over low heat for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened. Add the chopped basil, capers, and butter and cook for 1 minute.
• Meanwhile, prepare a grill with hot coals. Brush the swordfish with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill over high heat for 5 minutes on each side until the center is no longer raw. Don¿t overcook! Place a puddle of sauce on a serving plate, arrange the swordfish on top, and garnish with extra basil. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Steps:

• Neatly trim the cod fillets. Score the skin of each fillet 3-4 times at regular intervals. Lay the fish in a shallow dish and sprinkle both sides of the fillets with the salt and some freshly ground black pepper. Set aside or chill overnight, see box, far right.
• Deseed and finely slice the peppers, then finely grate the garlic and lemon zest over the peppers. Carefully slice the fennel on a mandolin, or as finely as possible with a sharp knife, then tip half the fennel into a bowl of iced water and set aside.
• Brush the salt off the fish or, if it has dissolved, wipe the brine off with kitchen paper. Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a large non-stick pan, cook the fish, skin side down, for 4 mins until the skin is crisp and browned, then remove from the pan.
• Put 1 tbsp more oil into the pan. Fry the fennel and the marinated peppers together for 4-5 mins until soft and starting to brown. Throw in the tomatoes and the balsamic vinegar, then continue to cook for 2-3 mins until they soften and release their juices. Scatter over the olives, capers and herbs, then toss everything together.
• Nestle the fish fillets, skin side up, among the vegetables, then lower the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 5-6 mins until the fish is just cooked through. Lift the fish from the pan and give the sauce a final simmer and stir, then turn off the heat. This dish is better served warm rather than hot, so don't worry about the vegetables or fish resting before you serve.
• Drain the reserved fennel and pat dry with kitchen paper. Toss with the juice from half the grated lemon, 2 tbsp olive oil and the anchovies. To serve, spoon the vegetables into the middle of two large dinner plates. Sit the cod, skin side up, on top of the vegetables and top with a neat bundle of fennel salad. Drizzle everything with a touch more oil, then scatter with the small basil leaves.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Put the flour in a shallow pan, and lightly dredge the chicken in it, shaking the pieces to remove excess flour.
• Swirl the oil in a large roasting pan, and place the floured chicken in it. Season the chicken with the herbes de Provence. Arrange the lemon, garlic cloves and shallots around the chicken, then add the vermouth to the pan.
• Put the pan in the oven, and roast for 25 to 30 minutes, then baste it with the pan juices. Continue roasting for another 25 to 30 minutes, or until the chicken is very crisp and the meat cooked through.
• Serve in the pan or on a warmed platter, garnished with the thyme.

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a heavy pot. Add the onions and saute for about 10 minutes, until they are translucent.
• Add in the garlic and bay leaves, let that saute about 5 minutes more.
• Add in the tomates, salt, pepper and herbs - simmer for 20 minutes.
• When the tomatoes have cooked down, add in the tomato paste and simmer for another 10 minutes. Adjust seasoning to your liking.
• Remove the bay leaves and your sauce is ready!

Steps:

• Pre-heat the oven to 200C/Gas 6/fan 180C. Cook the lentils in boiling unsalted water for about 20- 30 minutes until just tender, then drain. Fry the onion, garlic and red pepper in the olive oil until soft (about 10 minutes). Add the ground coriander and thyme, and stir for 30 seconds or so. Now tip in the tomatoes, tomato purée and sugar, and season with salt and pepper. Leave to simmer to a thick sauce, stirring occasionally, for about 15- 20 minutes. Check seasoning, take out the thyme and stir in the basil.
• Meanwhile, cook the cabbage in boiling salted water for about 3-4 minutes, until just tender. Drain, and run under the cold tap, then drain thoroughly again. Mix the cabbage and lentils with the tomato sauce, and spoon into a shallow ovenproof gratin dish.
• Mix the breadcrumbs and cheese, and scatter over the mixture in an even layer. Drizzle with a little extra olive oil. Bake for 20-30 minutes until sizzling and patched appetisingly with brown.