---
title: "Sauce tomate: what it means in cooking — Tiny Plates"
description: "Sauce tomate is the French mother sauce made from tomatoes slowly simmered with aromatics, stock and pork. It is richer than a simple Italian tomato sauce."
url: "https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/sauce-tomate"
---

# Sauce tomate

Sauce tomate is the French mother sauce made from tomatoes slowly simmered with aromatics, stock and pork. It is richer than a simple Italian tomato sauce.

Also called French tomato sauce.

Sauce tomate is the classic French tomato sauce and one of the five [mother sauces](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/mother-sauces). In Escoffier's version, tomatoes are simmered for a long time with salt pork, [mirepoix](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/mirepoix), stock, herbs and a little roux, then strained. It is smoother and deeper in flavor than a quick Italian tomato sauce. Many modern cooks leave out the roux and thicken it by reduction alone.

## How to do it

For about 1 liter (4 cups):

1. In a heavy pot, cook 60 g (2 ounces) of diced salt pork or bacon until the fat runs.
2. Add 1 diced onion, 1 diced carrot and 1 celery stalk. Cook until soft and lightly golden.
3. Stir in 2 tablespoons of flour if you want a classic roux base, and cook for 2 minutes.
4. Add 1.5 kg (3 pounds) of chopped ripe or canned tomatoes, 500 ml (2 cups) of chicken or veal stock, a crushed garlic clove and a [bouquet garni](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/bouquet-garni).
5. Bring to a [simmer](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/simmer) and cook gently, partly covered, for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, stirring often.
6. Remove the herbs and [pass the sauce through a sieve](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/pass-through-a-sieve) or food mill. Season with salt, pepper and a pinch of sugar if it is sharp.

## How to tell it is done

The sauce is smooth, deep red and thick enough to coat a spoon. It tastes rounded, not raw or acidic.

## How to use it

Use it on its own with pasta, eggs, fish and meat, or as a base for small sauces. Add garlic, olives and herbs for _provençale_. Add peppers and celery for Creole sauce. For a quicker, fresher sauce, use a [concassé](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/concasse) of peeled, seeded tomatoes cooked briefly with olive oil.

## How to store it

Cool it fast and keep it in the fridge for up to 4 days, or freeze it for up to 3 months.

## Common mistakes

* Cooking it over high heat, so it scorches on the bottom. Tomato sauces catch easily.
* Under-seasoning. Tomatoes need salt to taste of themselves.
* Skipping the straining step when you want a smooth sauce.

## Related terms

* [Mother saucesThe five French mother sauces are béchamel, velouté, espagnole, sauce tomate and hollandaise. Learning them lets you make hundreds of other sauces.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/mother-sauces)
* [MirepoixMirepoix is diced onion, carrot and celery, usually two parts onion to one each of the others. It is the flavor base of French stocks, soups and braises.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/mirepoix)
* [Bouquet garniA bouquet garni is a small bundle of herbs, usually thyme, bay leaf and parsley stems, tied together to flavor stocks, soups and stews, then removed.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/bouquet-garni)
* [ConcasséConcassé is tomato that has been peeled, seeded and cut into small, even dice, ready for sauces, salsas and garnishes with no skin or watery seeds.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/concasse)
* [SimmerA simmer is liquid kept just below boiling, with small, gentle bubbles rising to the surface. It cooks soups, stews and sauces without toughening them.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/simmer)
* [Pass through a sieveTo pass through a sieve is to push a sauce, purée or custard through fine mesh to remove lumps, seeds and skins. Here is how to do it fast and cleanly.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/pass-through-a-sieve)

[More in sauces and stocks](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/category/sauces-and-stocks)[Every term from A to Z](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary)