A watercolour of a dark reduced braise of crushed plum tomatoes with capers, glossy with oil
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Adapted from Southern Italian tomato braises where anchovy is cooked down as a savoury base rather than eaten as fish

Plum tomatoes braised with anchovy

An established dish converted to shelf-stable ingredients. Every substitution is documented below.

How long it keeps

About 6 months, set by Olive oil.

Indicative, for planning a build before you buy. The answer for a pack you already own is the best before date printed on it, and that only holds if it has been stored as the label says.

Serves
3
Burners
1
Pans
1
Water
0.05 L
Active
8 min
Total
35 min

Ingredients

Whole plum tomatoes rather than chopped, because chopped tomatoes are usually a lesser grade of fruit and this dish is mostly tomato.

  1. Oil on a low heat. Anchovies in, and mashed with the back of a spoon until they dissolve completely. Three or four minutes. If you can still see them, keep going.
  2. Garlic, chilli and oregano, thirty seconds.
  3. Tomatoes in with their juice, each one crushed in your hand or against the pan as it goes.
  4. Twenty-five minutes at a slow bubble, uncovered. It should reduce by about a third and darken considerably.
  5. Capers in for the last two minutes so they keep their sharpness.

No salt. Anchovies and capers between them bring more than enough.

Nobody eating this will identify anchovy. They will notice if you leave it out.

Serves 3 over pasta, polenta or bread.

What this was adapted from

Southern Italian tomato braises where anchovy is cooked down as a savoury base rather than eaten as fish

  • fresh plum tomatoes, peeled → tinned whole plum tomatoes

    Tinned whole plums are picked ripe and peeled already, and for a long braise they are better than most fresh tomatoes available in Britain. This is one of the few places where the tin is not a compromise.