Tomato cream with Ultratex: adjusting a sauce without heat

This preparation uses tomato to show how Ultratex can refine texture after cooking. It lets you adjust a sauce without further reduction or further concentrating salt and acidity.

Ingredients

• 500 g ripe tomatoes
• 6–9 g Ultratex, added gradually
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Extra virgin olive oil as needed
• Up to 10 g sugar, optional and depending on the tomatoes

Method

Wash and chop the tomatoes. Cook gently with a little oil for approximately 10 minutes until soft, then blend. For a smoother sauce, pass the base through a sieve. Adjust seasoning and consider sugar only if needed to balance the flavour.

Weigh the resulting base: evaporation changes its weight from that of the initial tomatoes. Add some of the Ultratex, mixing carefully. Rest for a few minutes, then check before adding the remainder of the indicated amount. The 6–9 g dose belongs to this recipe and is not a rule for every sauce.

Choose the final texture

Keep the cream fluid to accompany a dish; a squeeze bottle may require a firmer texture. Taste at serving temperature and check that it is not pasty.

Cool and store according to normal procedures for a cooked sauce: a thickener does not automatically extend shelf life. For other methods, read Ultratex and cornflour and adjusting a sauce without heat.