Serves 6
Try this thick tomato sauce touched with a hint of ocean breezes over rice or noodles.
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 large clove garlic, crushed
- 3½ cups plum tomato sauce, or 4½ cups fresh plum tomatoes, chopped and drained
- 6 ounces plum tomato paste
- 3 cups water
- 2 tablespoons dry sherry
- 2 boned and skinless chicken breasts, sliced crosswise ½-inch wide
- ¼ teaspoon celery seed
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tablespoons dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon soy sauce
- Freshly ground black pepper
- A few drops of hot pepper sauce
- ¼ cup fresh fucus fronds, coarsely chopped, or 1/8 cup dried
- 12 fucus pods
- Pour the oil into a two-quart saucepan, place over medium heat, and sauté the onion and garlic until soft. Add the tomato sauce or drained tomatoes, tomato paste, and water. Whisk to blend.
- Add the sherry and chicken and cook until the chicken becomes translucent. Add the next six ingredients, cover loosely and simmer over low heat until the sauce thickens, or about 1 hour.
- Add the fucus during the last 20 minutes and simmer until it softens and turns bright green.
Robert Henderson is a writer in Olympia, Washington, who combines an interest in history, folklore, and research. He has spent many hours scouring the shores of Puget Sound.
Click here for more seashore recipes from the original article, Herbs of the Seashore.
