If there’s one ingredient that’s always in my kitchen cupboard, it’s a tin of tomatoes. They’re like a reliable friend that you know will be there exactly when you need them. Their beauty is not only in their flavour and colour but also their versatility – there aren’t many ingredients you could write over a hundred recipes for without scraping the culinary barrel.
Tinned tomatoes have a distinct flavour and concentrated aroma which sets them apart from their fresh counterpart. Because tomatoes used for canning are harvested at peak ripeness, the natural sugars are captured and concentrated during processing. The natural acidity of tomatoes is also netted, which can add tanginess to dishes as well as brightening up sauces and stews. One of the reasons they improve the flavour of dishes so much is their umami notes, thanks to the natural glutamates in tomatoes becoming concentrated during processing – this helps make dishes more flavoursome, complex and generally more delicious.
I hope this book will not only illustrate just how versatile the tinned tomato is, but will also be a source of inspiration when you’ve only got five minutes to find a recipe, or when you’ve got friends coming round and you want a trusted recipe that you know will please everyone.
