Lynne's Sweet and Pungent Sicilian Sauce

Adapted from The Italian Country Table: Home Cooking from Italy's Farmhouse Kitchens

Makes about 1 cup, serving 4 to 6, and doubles easily.

Everything in this sauce is taken to its essence. Sweet, tart, pungent—this is the taste of Sicily for me. Sugar isn't merely added, it is caramelized. Vinegar boils down to remind you it began life as wine; onion doesn't just sauté, it browns; tomato's natural sweet tart becomes succulent fruit. Even the herbs are exceptional -- orange with rosemary, oregano and basil. Be sure to fully complete each reduction with vinegar and tomatoes; this is more of a thick jam than a sauce.

Make a double recipe and keep it in the refrigerator for a week or more. It freezes for up to 3 months. Spread it on grilled meats, fish, burgers, sausages, bruschetta, vegetables and sandwiches.

If doubling the recipe, use either 2 skillets, or 1 very large one.

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  
• 1/2 medium onion, minced
  
• 1 1/2 inch sprig fresh rosemary
  
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  
• 3 tablespoons sugar
  
• 1/8 teaspoon dried oregano
  
• 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
  
• Shredded zest of a large orange
  
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
  
• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
  
• 1 generous cup drained, canned whole tomatoes

1. In a 10-inch skillet, heat oil over medium high, adding the onion, rosemary, and a generous sprinkling of salt and pepper. Sauté until onion begins to color, and then add sugar. Stir with a wooden spatula as sugar melts and bubbles (taking care not to burn), then finally turns pale amber while onions remain light colored.

2. Immediately add the herbs, zest, and garlic. Standing back to avoid splatter, quickly add the vinegar. Stir and boil down until vinegar is a glaze, coating the onion and barely covering the bottom of the pan. Keep scraping down the pan's sides, to bring the developing glaze back into the sauce. Watch for burning.

3. Stir in tomatoes, crushing them as they go into the pan. Boil, scraping down sides and stirring until sauce is sautéing in its own juices. It should be a thick jam that mounds on a spoon. Finish seasoning with a few grinds of black pepper, turn out of the pan, and cool. Store covered in the refrigerator. Serve at room temperature or warm.

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