Fire Roasted Tomatoes

Various brands of canned fired roasted tomatoes are available in stores. It is very much easy to buy one of them and use it in your recipes. But, how about homemade fire roasted tomatoes? You may think that preparing such tomatoes at home is a messy as well as difficult task. Definitely, it can be a messy task, but, not that difficult.

How to Fire Roast Tomatoes

Fire-roasting tomatoes refers to cooking of tomatoes on direct flame, till the skin of these vegetables get charred and blistered. This can be done in many different ways. You may either do it on an open burner, gas grill, charcoal grill or a broiler. The degree of roasting depends on the specific recipe, you intend to prepare with them.

• For fire-roasting, Roma or plum tomatoes are the best, as they have dense flesh with very little juice. They hold well, while, roasting, unlike some other juicy varieties that may turn mushy, as they release juices.
• Once you are ready with the tomatoes, thread them in a skewer and rotate the skewer over an open burner. You may also spear tomatoes, one by one, with a fork and roast them over an open burner.
• Another method is to cook them on a gas grill. In such a case, slice the tomatoes and brush the cut side with olive oil. Now, place these tomato halves (with cut side facing down) on the gas grill, over medium flame. As the underside turns black, flip them and cook until the skin gets charred.
• In case of a charcoal grill, wash and pat dry the tomatoes and place them over hot briquettes, in the middle. The briquettes should not be too hot. If you can hold your hands near them (at a distance of few inches) for around five seconds, then, the heat is okay. Make sure to turn the tomatoes so that all the sides get charred evenly.
• You may also roast tomatoes on a griddle by placing them over it till the tomatoes are charred. In this case too, turn these vegetables for even cooking. In case of a broiler, all you have to do is to keep the tomatoes on the rack (in the broiling pan) and place it inside the device that is already very hot. Wait till all the sides get charred. Make sure that the broiler is very hot and the tomatoes are placed near the flame.

As mentioned earlier, you must keep in mind the requirement and flavor of the recipe, for which you need fire roasted tomatoes. For some recipes you have to roast tomatoes, till they develop dark spots, whereas for others, they have to be completely charred and blistered.

Fire Roasted Tomato Soup

Ingredients

• Chicken or vegetable broth (reduced sodium type) - 1 can
• Fire roasted tomatoes (organic) - 30 ounce (2 cans)
• Butter or olive oil - 1 tablespoon
• Onion - 1 (large)
• Garlic cloves - 2
• Sugar - 1 teaspoon
• Crushed red pepper - ¼ teaspoon
• Whipping cream - ½ cup
• Chopped fresh basil - 2 tablespoons

How to Prepare

Peel, wash and chop the onion and garlic cloves. You may replace basil with fresh cilantro or parsley. Take a saucepan and place it over medium heat. Heat the butter and as it melts, add the chopped onion and garlic. Stir them till the onion gets tender. Now, add the fire roasted tomatoes. You may use canned ones or those made at home. Follow with broth, chopped basil (one tablespoon), sugar and crushed red pepper. Once the mixture boils, reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for another ten to fifteen minutes. After that, remove the mixture from heat and allow it to cool. You have to blend this mixture, till it transforms to a puree. It will be convenient to blend it in small batches. Once done, heat the puree in the saucepan. Remove from heat, as it gets hot and fold in the cream. Garnish with the remaining chopped basil.

In short, preparing fire roasted tomatoes is not a difficult task, if you know the right methods. You may try any of the above methods for fire roasting tomatoes that can be used in recipes that call for the same.