Concassé

Deutsch: Concassé / Español: Concassé / Português: Concassé / Français: Concassé / Italiano: Concassé

Concassé is a French culinary term meaning "to crush or grind." In the food context, it typically refers to a preparation of tomatoes that have been peeled, seeded, and roughly chopped. This versatile technique is used in various dishes to provide a fresh, bright flavour and a slightly chunky texture.

Description

Tomato concassé is a fundamental preparation in French cuisine and beyond. The process involves blanching tomatoes briefly in boiling water to loosen their skins, peeling them, removing the seeds, and then chopping the flesh. This method enhances the texture and purity of the tomatoes in dishes, ensuring the removal of skins and seeds that might disrupt the consistency.

Concassé can be used as a base for sauces, soups, or stews or as a topping for dishes like bruschetta or roasted meats. While tomatoes are the most common ingredient associated with concassé, the term can also apply to other ingredients that are similarly crushed or coarsely chopped.

Special Aspects of Concassé

• Textural Control: Tomato concassé provides a desirable balance between smoothness and chunkiness.
• Refined Flavour: Removing the seeds and skin eliminates bitterness and improves the dish's overall flavour profile.
• Culinary Foundation: It is a key technique in classic French cuisine, serving as the base for many recipes.
• Adaptability: Though often associated with tomatoes, the concassé method can be applied to other vegetables or fruits, like peppers or apples.

Application Areas

• Sauces: Used as a base for pasta sauces, like marinara, or in classic French recipes like ratatouille.
• Soups and Stews: Adds a fresh tomato component to dishes like minestrone or Provençal stews.
• Toppings: Ideal for bruschetta, crostini, or as a garnish for grilled Fish or chicken.
• Stuffings: A component in stuffed vegetables, adding both texture and flavour.
• Casseroles and Bakes: Incorporated into baked dishes like Lasagna or moussaka.

Well-Known Examples

• Tomato Bruschetta: Diced tomato concassé mixed with olive oil, garlic, and basil, served on toasted bread.
• Ratatouille: A traditional French Vegetable stew featuring tomato concassé as a key ingredient.
• Marinara Sauce: A simple Italian sauce where tomato concassé forms the base, combined with garlic, olive oil, and herbs.
• Provençal Fish: A Mediterranean dish featuring fish topped with a tomato concassé-based sauce.
• Eggplant Parmesan: A layered dish using tomato concassé as the sauce component.

Risks and Challenges

• Time-Intensive Preparation: The peeling, seeding, and chopping process can be labour-intensive, especially for large quantities.
• Ingredient Quality: The quality of tomatoes directly affects the outcome, as bland or underripe tomatoes can diminish the dish.
• Storage: Fresh tomato concassé is best used immediately, as it may lose its texture and flavour if stored too long.

Similar Terms

• Chiffonade: A slicing technique for herbs or leafy greens, often used in conjunction with concassé for garnishes.
• Brunoise: A Fine Dice, much smaller and more uniform than the coarser concassé.
• Purée: A completely smooth texture achieved by blending, contrasting with the chunkiness of concassé.
• Salsa Cruda: A raw, chopped mixture of tomatoes, onions, and herbs, similar in texture to tomato concassé but uncooked.
• Pico de Gallo: A Mexican fresh tomato-based salsa with additional spices and herbs, comparable to concassé.

Summary

Concassé is a fundamental culinary technique, especially in French cooking, focusing on peeling, seeding, and roughly chopping ingredients, most commonly tomatoes. Its refined yet simple preparation enhances flavour and texture, making it an essential component in numerous dishes. From sauces to toppings, concassé highlights the importance of careful ingredient preparation in elevating a recipe.

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