The other day I was putting together a slow-cooker recipe and
added a tablespoon of ketchup.
The other day I was putting together a slow-cooker recipe and added a tablespoon of ketchup.
My husband asked why I had used ketchup when we had a huge tray of fresh, ripe tomatoes in all sizes available. While we think of ketchup as condensed and concentrated tomatoes, its flavor is actually much more complex than plain tomatoes alone.
I often capitalize on this by using it rather than tomato paste when only a small amount is called for. Of course, ketchup’s main use is as a beloved condiment without which no hamburger, French fry or diner counter would be complete. It’s the American cousin of a large family of bottled sauces, mostly of British origin, such as Worcestershire and steak sauce, which seem to have originated in Britain’s colonial period.
According to the book “Pure Ketchup” by Andrew F. Smith, ketchup was introduced to the U.S. in the 18th century as a concoction of kidney beans, mushrooms, anchovies and walnuts. Tomatoes were nowhere to be found. The name was a corruption of the Chinese “ketsiap,” meaning “brine of pickled fish.”
It was first mentioned in print well before this, in the 1690s. Not long after its introduction in the U.S., tomatoes were added. Frederick Accum, in a book called “Culinary Chemistry” from 1821, lists the ingredients as “tomatas (sic), salt, anchovies, eshallots, black pepper, mace, allspice, ginger, nutmeg and cochineal.”
This sounds pretty much like the ketchup we know today, if we compare it to a current recipe:
Fog City Diner’s Tomato Ketchup
(From the Fog City Diner, San Francisco)
Makes about 5 cups
4 pounds ripe plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1-1/2 cups sugar
1 cup cider vinegar
1 tablespoon minced garlic
3/4 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 teaspoons mixed pickling spice
1 small stick cinnamon, about
1/4-inch long
1-1/2 teaspoons dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon (scant) freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in 1/4 cup cold water
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Step 1: Combine the tomatoes, sugar, vinegar, garlic, salt, pickling spice, cinnamon, dry mustard and pepper in a large, heavy stainless steel or enameled saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
Step 2: Reduce the heat and simmer the ketchup, uncovered, for 30 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove the ketchup from the heat and let it cool a few minutes.
Step 3: Force the ketchup through a fine sieve to strain it, pressing down hard on the solids. Rinse out the saucepan and return the ketchup to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently.
Step 4: Reduce the heat and simmer the ketchup, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes. (Even if the ketchup seems thin, do not cook it any longer, as the thickening power of the cornstarch lessens with prolonged cooking. The ketchup will thicken a bit more upon cooling.)
Step 5: Remove the ketchup from the heat and let it cool to room temperature. Store the tomato ketchup, covered, in the refrigerator for up to a month.
Here is a good end-of-summer recipe where ketchup puts in a subtle appearance:
Asian Barbecued Chicken
Serves 8
(Use the spicy sauce for marinating and basting the chicken during grilling.)
1/2 cup toasted sesame oil
1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
2 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
Zest and juice of 2 lemons (about 1/4 cup juice)
3/4 cup ketchup
1 cup canola or vegetable oil
8 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Step 1: In a large jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine sesame oil, soy sauce, ginger, pepper, lemon zest and juice, ketchup and canola oil, then secure with lid and shake to blend marinade.
Step 2: Place marinade in a glass, enamel or stainless bowl, add chicken and rub marinade all over each chicken breast. Cover and refrigerate up to 4 hours.
Step 3: Heat a grill or a grill pan to medium. Lift chicken from marinade. Grill, turning each breast as needed to avoid scorching, and basting twice with marinade, 5-8 minutes per side; don’t brush during final 2 minutes of cooking and discard any leftover marinade. (If the chicken breasts are thick, finish cooking by moving them to the coolest part of the grill and covering with aluminum foil, or transferring grilled chicken to a 350°F oven.)
Step 4: Serve with wasabi dipping sauce and pineapple-lime salsa.
Wasabi Dipping Sauce
Makes 1 1/4 cups
(Make this sauce a day ahead to allow the heat of the wasabi to seep into the creamy sauce.)
1/4 cup wasabi powder
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
Juice of 1 lemon (about 2 tablespoons)
Step 1: Mix the wasabi powder in a medium bowl with 3 tablespoons water.
Step 2: Let the wasabi paste sit for about 5 minutes for flavors to develop.
Step 3: Mix in the sour cream, mayonnaise and lemon juice.
Step 4: Transfer the sauce to clean jar and refrigerate. Sauce will thicken and become more piquant as it sits in the refrigerator.
Pineapple-Lime Salsa
Makes 1 cup
1/2 small fresh pineapple, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
Zest and juice of 1 lime (1 to 2 tablespoons juice)
1 small red bell pepper, seeds and ribs removed, minced
3 scallions (green and white parts) thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Step 1: Combine the pineapple, red-pepper flakes, lime zest and juice, bell pepper, scallion, and cilantro together in a medium bowl.
Step 2: Cover tightly, and refrigerate overnight.
