I adapted this from Thomas Keller’s amazing book–it has some interesting ingredients and is worth the extra work, I think.
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup finely chopped yellow onion
1 cup minced leeks (white and pale green parts only)
1 cup finely chopped fennel
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon minced garlic
sea salt
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
4 lbs fresh, peeled tomatoes or canned or mix of both
1 sachet*
freshly ground black pepper
Preheat oven to 350. Combine oil, onion, leeks, fennel and garlic in a large ovenproof Dutch oven or a baking dish and sprinkle with salt. Put in the oven uncovered and cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the vegetables are tender and beginning to caramelize.
Stir in the honey and vinegar and return to the oven for another 20 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed. Remove from the oven.
Meanwhile, drain the tomatoes. Coarsely chop half the tomatoes, puree the other half in a food processor.
Add the tomatoes to the vegetables along with the sachet, season with salt and pepper to taste, and return to the oven for 1½ hours, stirring every 30 minutes. The sauce should be thick and have a full rich flavor. Run the side of a spoon through the sauce–if it runs back together immediately, it is too thin–return it to the oven and cook until thickened. Discard the sachet and let the sauce cool to room temperature. Refrigerate in a covered container for up to 1 week.
*Sachet: 1 bay leaf, 3 thyme sprigs, 10 black peppercorns, 1 garlic clove, smashed and peeled. Lay out a 7-inch square of cheesecloth. Put all ingredients near the bottom of the square and fold the bottom edge up and over them. Roll once, tuck in the two ends of the cheesecloth and continue to roll. Tie the cheesecloth at both ends with thread.
Ad hoc at home by Thomas Keller