INGREDIENTS

• 2 medium-sized tomatoes, peeled, cored, and diced

• 1 tablespoon vinegar of your choice (I like apple cider)

• 1 teaspoon shallots, minced

• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• kosher salt, to taste

• Pinch of parsley, minced

PREPARATION

Peel your tomatoes: 3 medium sized tomatoes will yield 2 cups.

• Fill a medium sized pot with water and bring to boil. Score the bottom of the tomatoes with your paring knife in a cross pat- tern. Avoid cutting deeply into the flesh. Use the tip of your paring knife to remove the woody, green stem of the tomato. Submerge the tomatoes in the boiling water. After about 10 seconds, remove a tomato and check to see if the skin can be removed easily from the flesh from where you cut the cross. If the skin remains firmly attached to the flesh, continue the cooking process for another 5–10 seconds and check again. Once the skin is easily removed, transfer the tomatoes into an ice bath to stop them from cooking further. A slight curl along the score lines is a helpful sign that the tomatoes are done. Once shocked, use slotted spoon to remove tomatoes from ice bath. Peel each tomato using your paring knife.

Prepare a dry concasse

Slice the peeled tomatoes at the equator, gently squeeze over a bowl to remove the seeds, it’s okay if a few remain behind. Cut the tomatoes into a small dice. Sprinkle diced tomatoes with a pinch of kosher salt to season (this will also help draw out the moisture). Line a medium-sized stainer with paper towels or kitchen gauze and set it over a bowl. Place the diced tomatoes into the strainer and let it sit for 20 minutes to allow the excess moisture to drain. After 20 minutes, gently press down on the tomatoes to remove any remaining water. Your concasse is now dry and ready.

Put it all together

Place the diced tomatoes and minced shallots into a mixing bowl. Add olive oil and vinegar to thoroughly coat and absorb into the tomatoes. Gently fold in the chopped parsley and season with salt.

RECIPE NOTES

Sauce Vierge (translates to virgin sauce) is a French sauce made from chopped tomatoes, olive oil, lemon juice and fresh herbs. The ingredients are allowed to infuse in the oil to create the sauce. I like to describe Sauce Vierge as the French version of salsa. It’s delightful with grilled fish and vegetables. You don’t have to peel the tomatoes but I do believe it adds an elevated refined touch. It’s important to drain as much liquid from the tomatoes as possible as you don’t want the sauce to be too watery. This will keep in your refrigerator for a 3-4 days. I like to add a spoonful or two over my salad and veggies. It’s also really good with this grilled zucchini recipe.