Sauce Creole is a classic New Orleans tomato-based sauce made by slowly simmering tomatoes in Creole seasoning until a savory sauce, both smooth and chunky, is created.
Chop and measure all ingredients into small prep bowls. In preparing the lemon, start by zesting the lemon. Slice the lemon in half, juice one half and slice the other half into 3 or 4 slices.
In a heavy Dutch oven, heat butter over medium-high heat until bubbling; add the trinity (yellow onions, bell peppers, and celery) and sauté for about 8 to 12 minutes until starting to caramelize.
Add the garlic and about half of the Herb and Spice Blend (not the bay leaves yet) and about ⅔ of the green onions. Mix well and sauté until aromatic - about 2 minutes.
Mix in the flour and stir thoroughly. Cook about 2 to 3 minutes stirring constantly so it does not stick.
Add the tomatoes (and the juice), crushing each by hand as you add them. Add the tomato sauce and mix well. Bring to a simmer, add about half of the remaining Herb and Spice Blend, both bay leaves, the sugar and Worcestershire sauce. Mix well.
Add in the lemon juice, lemon zest, lemon slices and ¾ cup of the stock (reserve the remaining stock). Mix well and bring back to a heavy simmer; lower the heat to a slight simmer and cook for 20 minutes uncovered, stirring often while it thickens.
After 20 minutes, cover the Dutch oven and continue to cook on low for another 30 minutes, stirring often so it does not stick. We are looking for a thick, smooth (but chunky) sauce, so remove the cover or leave the cover on, depending on how the thickening is coming along. If it gets too thick, add some of the reserved stock, if it's not thick enough simmer with the cover off.
At this point taste for seasoning.
Remove the bay leaves and lemon slices and serve over rice or whatever you are serving, sprinkled with green onions on top.
Notes
This is a dish that benefits from a long, slow simmer. However, if you are crunched for time, you can cut the covered simmer time down to meet your needs.Many commercial Creole seasonings and stocks contain salt, so keep that in mind when you add more salt. It's a good practice to taste it before adding any salt.It is always better to use stock instead of water. For general purposes, chicken stock is always good. If making this sauce to accompany crawfish, try to use crawfish stock; if accompanying shrimp, try to use shrimp stock.....you get the idea! You can also grab these commercial stocks from Amazon...it's actually what I use most of the time!This sauce is wonderful with fresh tomatoes-make sure they are VERY ripe and peel them before using. You may want to add a little more tomato sauce if you use fresh tomatoes. Creole Sauce can be made a few days in advance (no more than 7 days) and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for 5 to 7 days in an airtight container. If you keep the sauce longer than that, store it in the freezer for up to 6 months in an airtight, freezer-proof container. Cool the sauce down before storing it within 2 hours of cooking. Defrost frozen Creole Sauce in the fridge overnight and reheat in a saucepan on the stovetop.