Tomato Concassé
I have a recipe that asks for "tomato concassé". What is it and how is it used?
--Julie
Tomato concassé (pronounced "kon-kah-SAY") is a dice of tomatoes which have been peeled and the seeds removed. Recipes that use concassé are striving for a finer result, showing that you cared enough about the quality of the final product to remove seeds, which can be tough and bitter; and the skin, which won't soften during cooking.
To make tomato concassé, start with fresh, ripe tomatoes. Bring a pot of water, deep enough to cover the tomatoes, to a boil. For each tomato, remove the tough part where the stem used to be by using the tip of a paring knife to carve a small cone-shaped piece out of the stem end. Next turn the tomato over, and on the other end mark a small cross in the skin with the knife. Each cut should be about an inch (2.5 cm) long.
When the tomatoes are ready, place a few at a time in the boiling water. When the water returns to a boil, allow them to cook about a minute longer and then remove them using a slotted spoon. Parboil all of the tomatoes in this fashion. When the tomatoes have cooled enough to handle, slide the edge of a paring knife just under the corner of one of the intersections of the cross cut earlier. Trap the skin against the blade of the knife by gently pressing with the thumb of the hand holding the knife and pull the skin away. Continue to work around the tomato, removing all of the skin.
Two things will take some practice. One is recognizing when the tomatoes have boiled long enough. You don't want them to soften and get mushy, but you do want the skins to loosen. The amount of time will vary, depending on how ripe the tomatoes are. The other is learning how to peel the tomato. It just takes practice and a bit of care.
Once all of the tomatoes are peeled, cut each in half around its middle, and gently squeeze out the seeds. Sometimes you may find that you need to use your fingers ("impeccably clean" as Julia Child would always say), or a small spoon, to convince the seeds to let go. Discard the skins and seeds.
After all of the tomatoes are seeded, chop them up. Depending on the recipe and your inclination, this may be a rough chop or a fine dice.
Some cooks ignore the peeling and seeding and simply chop up their tomatoes for the recipe. However, considering how little work it takes to make a concassé, it is sometimes worth the effort to produce a really top quality dish.
Instead of waiting for tomatoes to cool, place them in an ice water bath immediately after removing from boiling water to "shock" them. You'll find it makes them much easier to peel.
Posted by: Emilio Prado | Jul 22, 2011 at 09:59 AM
I really need a faster way to do concasse at work.
Posted by: Rusty | Apr 25, 2011 at 04:11 PM
Try using tinned chopped, tomatoes already flavoured with garlic,sometimes basil,or plain if you wish, just as good, lovely with Scamp Provencal.
Posted by: Glen Leighton | Jan 17, 2011 at 11:27 AM
I've found it is much easier to peel tomatoes with a toothed peeler, resulting in significantly less preparation overall, particularly if you need a large amount of tomatoes (e.g. for a Tomato-Basil Bisque). I highly recommend it; no more ice bath, no more blanching, no more criss-crossing the tomatoes.
Posted by: Ryan | Nov 16, 2010 at 11:51 PM
There are a few ways to peel your tomatoes, some people don't par boil them at all! Personally, I boil them for 30 seconds then shock them. Next I quarter them and using my paring knife roll the seeds and membrane out. Next I use the edge of my knife to pull the skin off. After the tomatoes are skinned and seeded I rough chop according to the recipe I am preparing. It takes me a total of 5 minutes to do 6 large tomatoes. Dave's way works very well also!
Posted by: Bernie Somes | Aug 25, 2010 at 06:11 PM
Slightly different method then I was taught at the Culinary Institute. I was wondering how the two ways might effect the end results.We were taught to blanch the tomatoes in the same manner you have here (the cross cut and boiling them) them immediately shock them (drop them in ice water). Is there a difference? Or just another way to skin a cat?
==============
Shocking them in ice water will stop any carry over cooking from the residual heat, and may result in a slightly firmer result. Since I mostly used Tomato Concassé in sauces and other applications where I don't want skin or seeds but the flesh is ultimately cooked until it breaks down, I don't worry about the ice water part. You can do it either way. - Dave
Posted by: Rodger | May 10, 2010 at 04:37 AM
I feel like I just found the website of my dream- answers WITH explanations. Hurray
Posted by: Marian | Apr 25, 2010 at 01:15 PM
I usually just blanch the tomatoes for about 10-15 secs, then put them in an ice water bath.
-----------------------
That would be a peeled tomato. Concasse includes removing the seeds and dicing the tomatoes. D
Posted by: j riordan | Sep 04, 2009 at 10:07 AM
Hi, I read your concassé preparation. I would like to know after I have blanched and chopped the tomato, can I not put in chopped garlic, a little bit of sugar and salt.
-----------------------
Concassé refers only to how the tomatoes are prepared, not to the recipe you use them in. If you want to add those ingredients, go ahead.
Posted by: Anand | Aug 16, 2008 at 05:27 AM