Spanish roasted tomato and basil sauce

From an old issue of Australian Gourmet Traveller... I don't have the issue date but it would have to be about five or so years. I ripped out some pages on Spanish and Portugese preserves and have only recently resurfaced them from the depths of the folder of pilfered recipes. These will be part of the hampers this year.



Spanish roasted tomato and basil sauce

Use on roasted or barbecued meats, in a tapas platter, or tossed through pasta.

• 2 kg ripe tomatoes, halved lengthwise
  
• 2 chopped Spanish onions


• 2 tbsp olive oil


• 300ml white wine vinegar


• 150g caster sugar


• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  
• 3 fresh bay leaves (optional)


• 1 cup of firmly packed basil leaves, finely chopped


• cracked black pepper

Put the tomato halves, cut-side up, on baking trays lined with baking paper and roast at 150C for an hour. Mix together the oil, chopped onions and pepper to taste in a bowl, spoon over the tomatoes and keep roasting for another hour. Cool tomatoes and then roughly chop.

Mix vinegar and sugar in a saucepan and stir on low heat until sugar dissolves. Add tomato mixture and remaining ingredients, and about 2 tsp of sea salt or to taste. Boil, then reduce to low heat and simmer for 30-60 minutes, till mixture is thick. Remove bay leaves if using, then bottle immediately into sterilised jars. Will keep for 2 months in a cool dark place. Mine made about 1.8 litres.