Oven-dried tomatoes by Erich Stekovics
Oven-dried tomatoes by Erich Stekovics are fully ripened heirloom tomatoes, quartered and dried in the oven at a mild temperature until their juices have thickened. They remain succulent rather than brittle, possessing an aroma that the fresh fruit only develops during the drying process.
Oven-dried tomatoes are tomatoes dried in oil by Erich Stekovics, whose fields are located on Lake Neusiedl in Burgenland. In the 250-gram jar, the quarters rest in rapeseed oil seasoned with garlic, sea salt, and herbs. Whether on bread, in the pan, or over pasta, the jar empties quickly.
Concentrated fruit with garlic and herbs
The quarters remain fleshy and supple, releasing their thickened juice only once chewed.
What the fresh tomato loses in water, it gains in depth: sweetness and acidity move closer together, complemented by a dark, almost savory note that only develops in the oven. The garlic provides a mild undertone as it steeps in the oil rather than frying, and the herbs give the whole a Mediterranean character.
A single quarter on a slice of white bread already tastes like the south, with the sweetness up front and the salt right behind it. A few pieces are enough to set the direction for a pan of vegetables. Those who add them, along with their oil, to warm pasta will find the sauce is already taken care of.
Dried tomatoes for pasta, pizza, and bread
Erich Stekovics' oven-dried tomatoes have their strongest showing when there is little time for a long-cooked sauce, such as over pasta on a weekday evening.
On pizza, they withstand the heat without overcooking, and when paired with mozzarella and burrata, they provide the seasoning that the mild cheese craves. On toasted bread with a little oil underneath, they make a bruschetta that requires only a single ingredient. Folded into a lentil salad, they also impart a Mediterranean flair.
They stand just as well on a board alongside spicy mountain cheese and a glass of red wine as they do next to olives and ham on an antipasti platter. Remove the pieces with a clean fork and ensure the rest remain covered by the oil, and the opened jar will last for many weeks in the refrigerator.
Why the heat must remain low
They are dried at a mild temperature over several hours, as sugar burns quickly, and a tomato dried at too high a heat will taste bitter instead of sweet.
The fruit must be fully ripe when it enters the oven, because sweetness cannot be recovered during the drying process. That is why only those fruits that have ripened on the vine and feel heavy in the hand are used at Stekovics. Heirloom varieties have thinner skins and more seeds, but they provide a fruit flesh that retains plenty of aroma during drying.
Rapeseed oil instead of olive oil is a decision in favor of the tomato, as the local oil remains restrained in flavor, leaving the fruit in the spotlight. They are grown in the open fields of the Seewinkel, that flat, sun-drenched plain east of Lake Neusiedl.
The oil in the jar is the second prize
When the last quarters are gone, a red, flavorful oil remains that you can stir into a dressing or drizzle over a warm salad. Further jars from the Stekovics tomato garden can be found under tomatoes, such as the tomato tartare and the strained tomatoes.
Contents 250 g – Drained weight 180 g
