Imagine reaching a height of popularity so dizzying that you eventually become a cliché. Poor sun-dried tomatoes. Rising to fame in the late 80s and 90s along with interest in the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet, these shrivelled fruits were consumed in their millions by food lovers keen for a taste of sun-soaked Italian cuisine. As with anything popular, greedy people caught on and began producing poor-quality versions using cheaper methods, which led to bitter, less flavourful tomatoes which were much easier to lose interest in. This, combined with a flooding of the market and some tragic supermarket spinoffs (see: sundried tomato ciabatta; salad bars) and the sun-dried tom fell out of favour. Thing is, when used well, they’re fantastic, adding richness and intense tomato flavour. Brands such as Belazu (who call theirs ‘semi-dried’) are making them, and there are plenty of Italian imports, which you can spend lots of money on should you choose. Don’t worry though, a half-decent jar will do you for the recipes this week, and they’re a marvellous way to bring some umami-laden joy into your kitchen. This is somewhere between a pesto and a romesco sauce, with an added hit of smoky chilli. Think richness from the toasted nuts and Parmesan, sweetness and heat from red pepper, smoked paprika and harissa; and the acidity of sherry vinegar. It’s a serious flavour-booster and a year-round tomato fix that doesn’t feel like cheating. It feels like winning.
Here’s what else you can do with it:
Spicy, Smoky Sun-dried Tomato Sauce 100g pine nuts or hazelnuts
Put the garlic, roasted pepper, sundried tomatoes, harissa, vinegar, smoked paprika, Parmesan and sundried tomato oil into a small blender with a pinch of salt and blend to a paste. Mix through the extra virgin olive oil. Transfer to a jar and top with a layer of olive oil. Keep it in the fridge, smoothing the top and adding more oil to keep it fresh. It will keep for a couple of weeks like this.
SUPERSIZE ME! A super luxurious shakshuka for my paid subs this week! Shakshuka can often be thin and insipid - this is the antithesis. Until next time, Flavour Fans x
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Tuesday, March 25, 2025
Flavour Nugget #21: make sun-dried tomatoes fashionable again
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