Roasted tomato ketchup

If you've never made ketchup before, you'll be surprised at how simple it is. Star anise and balsamic vinegar add interesting flavours, but you can leave these out if you're a purist.

Makes about 500ml
10 medium tomatoes (about 1kg)
Coconut oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
A pinch of chilli flakes
3 star anise
3 bay leaves
1 tsp ground coriander
30ml balsamic vinegar
Apple cider vinegar to taste
Salt and black pepper

1 Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/gas mark 5. Wash the tomatoes then cut them in half and place on a lined baking sheet. Lightly drizzle with coconut oil and a pinch of salt. Place in the oven and roast for 30 minutes or so, until the tomatoes are caramelised and fragrant.

2 While the tomatoes are cooking, heat some oil in a large pan and add the onions, a pinch of salt, black pepper, garlic, chilli flakes, star anise, bay leaves, and coriander. Cook until the onions soften slightly – about 5 minutes. When the bottom of the pan gets dry, pour in the balsamic vinegar to deglaze the pan.

3 Once cool, remove the star anise and bay leaves and set aside for later. Place the tomatoes and cooked onions in a food processor and blend to form a puree. Using the back of a wooden spoon or spatula, press the puree through a mesh sieve back into the pan. (You can save the fibrous leftovers for a tomato-based soup or stew.)

4 Return the star anise and bay leaves to the pan, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook until thickened (5-10 minutes). Season to taste. If it is not tangy enough, add 2-3 tsp of apple cider vinegar. 

5 Once the ketchup has slightly cooled, pour into a clean glass container and store in the fridge for a week. It also freezes well.

--Recipe taken from Independent--