Portugaise is a classic sauce of onions cooked in fat (such as butter or oil) with tomato concassées, tomato sauce, garlic, and chopped parsley.

I used the tomato sauce recipe in the Le Cordon Bleu Complete Cooking Techniques cookbook. The tomato concassée was my starting point. Then, I sweated some garlic, onions, and carrots. A dash of sugar, salt, and pepper, and a quick purée in the food processor and voilà — Portugaise sauce.

Recipe adapted from Le Cordon Bleu Complete Cooking Techniques

1 garlic clove, minced
½ cup onions, diced
½ cup carrots, diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 tomatoes, concassée
pinch of sugar
salt and pepper, to taste
fresh parsley, for garnish

In a skillet, sweat garlic, onion, and carrot in olive oil over a moderate heat, for about 5-7 minutes. Add tomato concassée , a little sugar, and salt and pepper. Cook until soft, for about 10-15 minutes. Check the seasoning. Purée. Sprinkle with fresh parsley.

Tasting Notes

A fresh tomato-y sauce with just enough garlic to give it some punch.

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Running total: $48.30 + $.92 = $49.22

Butter used so far: 3½ tablespoons