Tag: sauce

Chimichurri

~ Sophie ~ 1 Comment

Tangy, twangy, spicy, herby. It’s the absolute best condiment drizzled over steak

  • 30g parsley, finely chopped
  • 10g oregano, finely chopped (or 1 tsp dried oregano)
  • 4 cloves confit garlic, squished
  • 50ml red wine vinegar
  • 50ml olive oil
  • ¼ tsp smoked paprika
  • ½ tsp chilli flakes
  • ¼ tsp fine salt
  1. Just mix everything together well and leave it to sit for 30 mins to an hour while you sort out the rest of dinner.

Caesar salad dressing – no fish!

~ Sophie ~ Leave a comment

Savoury and creamy. Just the thing for a crisp green salad (Romaine, Cos or Gem please) with chunky croutons. No anchovy, so not authentic, but still very delicious for the fish-haters in your life. Feeds 2

  • 40g mayo
  • 2 tsp warm water
  • ½ tsp white miso paste
  • Juice of ½ lemon
  • 10 drops Worcestershire sauce
  • ½ tsp nutritional yeast
  • 1 tbsp finely grated pecorino romano
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  1. Whisk all ingredients together in a large bowl
  2. Then use it to dress a salad. Maybe some grilled chicken on the side, maybe some extra flakes of pecorino over the top

Peanut rayu

~ Sophie ~ Leave a comment

This is hands-down the best condiment you can make – spicy, savoury, crunchy and very more-ish. Drizzle it on everything, especially if it’s cheese.

  • 200g unsalted roasted peanuts (or roast them – 2 mins in the air fryer or 10 mins in a 200C oven)
  • 8 cloves garlic, finely sliced
  • 300ml neutral oil
  • 2 tbsp Korean chilli flakes (gochugaru)
  • 1 tbsp chilli powder
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp sesame seeds
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp sesame oil
  1. Put the oil into a small saucepan and add the garlic. Heat gently until it’s golden brown
  2. Remove the garlic to a bowl and add the peanuts. Mix and wait for them to cool
  3. In another bowl, mix together the chilli flakes, chilli powder, salt, sugar and sesame seeds
  4. Pour over the hot garlic-flavoured oil and mix through
  5. Chop/lightly crush the peanuts and crispy garlic
  6. Add the crispy bits to the chilli oil, then add sesame oil and soy sauce
  7. Store in a jar in the fridge

Dim sum dipping sauce

~ Sophie ~ 1 Comment

Make your dim sum happy.

  • 3 tbsp soy sauce
  • 3 tbsp black vinegar
  • 2 tbsp Szechuan chilli oil (including some of the flakes from the bottom)
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 garlic clove, peeled and squashed lightly-but-not-disintegrated
  • 1 minced spring onion
  1. Mix all of the ingredients together about 15 mins before you want to use it. Then discard the garlic clove
  2. Drizzle, dunk and douse your dim sum in it

Thai green curry paste

~ Sophie ~ 1 Comment

Fresh, spicy, the basis of a delicious green curry. It’ll poke you in the tongue and leave you wanting more. Makes enough for 4 or 5 curries, keep it in the fridge

  • 1 tbsp coriander seeds
  • 2 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp black peppercorns
  • 6 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 5 stalks lemongrass, trimmed and roughly chopped
  • 1 inch ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 2 inches galangal, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 1 shallot, roughly chopped
  • 20g fresh coriander
  • Zest of 2 limes
  • Juice of ½ lime
  • 7 green birdseye chillis
  • 3 green medium chillis
  • 1 tbsp fish sauce
  1. Toast the coriander and cumin seeds in a dry pan until fragrant
  2. Use a spice grinder to finely grind the coriander, cumin and black peppercorns
  3. Then use a mini food processor to finely grind and combine all the other ingredients, stirring in the powdered spices at the end

Romesco

~ Sophie ~ Leave a comment

Sauce or dip? Sauce or dip?… Either way, it’s nutty, sweet, savoury and more-ish. This is the postbox red Spanish cousin of muhammara. Highly recommended with paprika crisps or roast cauliflower or a grilled pork chop.

  • 100g blanched almonds
  • Handful breadcrumbs
  • 2 red peppers
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 tbsp sherry vinegar
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 50ml olive oil
  • Pinch of salt
  1. Pre-heat the grill to high
  2. Halve the peppers, remove the seeds and lay skin-side up on a baking tray. Pop the whole garlic cloves beside them
  3. Grill the peppers and garlic for 15-20 mins until the skin is blackened
  4. While the peppers blacken, toast the almonds in dry pan for 4-5 mins until golden
  5. Transfer the peppers to a bowl and cover with a plate. Leave to steam for 10 mins and then peel the skin off
  6. Peel the papery skin off the garlic cloves
  7. Put the roasted peppers, almonds, garlic, vinegar, smoked paprika, oil and salt into a bowl and blitz to a chunky paste. Add more oil if you’d like it looser

3 salsas

~ Sophie ~ 3 Comments

Some salsa ideas, all zingy enough to make your mouth throw a party. Bonus lovely colours and textures. Plus endlessly adaptable with more or less of anything you like.

GRILLED TOMATO AND CHILLI SALSA

  • 4 large ripe tomatoes
  • 2 cloves of garlic, unpeeled
  • 1 large jalapeño chilli
  • Handful fresh coriander, chopped
  • 2 spring onions, finely chopped
  • Juice of ½ lime
  • Pinch salt
  • Large pinch sugar
  1. Pre-heat grill to its highest setting
  2. Halve the tomatoes and place, cut side up, onto a baking tray with the garlic and chilli
  3. Turning occasionally with tongs, grill them until they’re all blackened, blistered and soft. (They may cook at different rates, so remove each one as it’s done)
  4. Remove and discard the stem from the chilli and the skin from the garlic, and chop finely (or use a pestle and mortar to make a paste)
  5. Peel off the tomato skins and chop them roughly on a plate so you don’t lose any of the juice
  6. Slide the tomatoes into a bowl, and stir in the chilli and garlic, coriander, spring onion, lime juice, salt and sugar. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed

SWEETCORN SALSA

  • 2 cobs sweetcorn, stripped of husks and silk threads
  • Veg oil
  • ½ red pepper, finely chopped
  • ½ small red onion, finely chopped and soaked for 10 mins in cold water then drained
  • 2 large firm tomatoes, skinned, de-seeded and chopped
  • Handful fresh coriander, chopped
  • Juice of ½ lime
  • Pinch of salt
  1. Pre-heat the grill to its highest setting and rub the corn cobs with a bit of oil
  2. Place under the grill and toast them for roughly 8 mins, turning occasionally so that they cook evenly
  3. When they’re cool enough to handle, stand up on a chopping board on the stem end and slice down the cob with a sharp knife, scraping off the kernels
  4. Mix the corn with all the other ingredients. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed

MANGO SALSA

  • 2 ripe mangos, diced
  • 1 red chilli, finely chopped
  • ½ small red onion, finely chopped and soaked for 10 mins in cold water then drained
  • Small bunch fresh coriander, finely chopped
  • Zest and juice of 1 lime
  • Pinch of salt
  1. Mix all ingredients. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed

Tomato sauce

~ Sophie ~ 1 Comment

Straightforward and simple, but definitely not basic. This sauce is the essential staple of a delicious midweek pasta dinner. Feeds 2 comfortably.

  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp tomato puree
  • 1 tin chopped tomatoes
  • Dash worcestershire sauce
  • ½ tsp sugar
  • Salt and pepper
  1. Heat the oil in a saucepan and add the onion and garlic
  2. Cook slowly over a medium-low flame until soft, around 5 mins
  3. Turn the heat to medium, add the tomato puree and stir in, cooking for a minute or so
  4. Tip in the chopped tomatoes and two thirds of a tin of water. Add the worcestershire sauce, sugar and seasoning and stir together
  5. Bring to a bubble, then turn to a low simmer and cook with the lid off for 20-30 mins. It’s done when it’s thick, savoury and intensely tomato-y
  6. Taste it, check the seasoning, try not to eat it all from the saucepan

Hugely adaptable, add pancetta, basil, chilli flakes or any seasoning that makes your mouth happy. Eat on top of any and ALL the pasta.

Ferrero rocher chocolate sauce

~ Sophie ~ Leave a comment

Flipping lush poured over vanilla ice cream. No actual ferrero rocher were harmed in the making of this delicious chocolate hazelnut sauce. But serving some real ones alongside is definitely ok!

  • 100g blanched hazelnuts
  • 65g condensed milk
  • 90ml double cream
  • 1 tbsp hazelnut oil
  • 100g dark chocolate, broken into pieces
  • 40g milk chocolate, broken into pieces
  • 3 tbsp milk
  • 2 tbsp frangelico
  1. Heat the oven to 120C fan (140C) and spread out the hazelnuts on a baking tray. Roast for 15-20 mins until golden-brown and toasty
  2. Remove the nuts and allow to cool. Transfer half the nuts to a mini food processor and blitz fine. Roughly chop the other half of the nuts
  3. Put the condensed milk and cream in a small pan on a medium heat
  4. Cook, stirring, for 2 mins until it starts to steam. Don’t let it boil! Take off the heat and stir in the oil and chocolate
  5. Once everything is melted, add the ground hazelnuts, half the chopped nuts, the milk and frangelico. Stir together
  6. Return to a low heat for 2 mins and then serve warm over vanilla icecream with the remaining chopped nuts sprinkled over the top

Szechuan chilli oil

~ Sophie ~ 7 Comments

Spicy, flavourful oil. Drizzle it over stir fry, dip wontons in it, drip a little pool into the bottom of a ramen bowl before you add the noodles and stock. It’s so good!

  • 3 tbsp chilli flakes
  • 2 tsp ground Szechuan pepper
  • 1 tsp Chinese five spice powder
  • 1 tbsp sesame seeds
  • 3 slices of fresh ginger
  • 2 star anise
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 red bird eye chillis, pricked with a fork but left whole
  • 250ml veg oil
  1. In a small bowl, mix together the chilli flakes, Sichuan pepper, five spice and sesame seeds
  2. Put the bay, cumin, ginger, chillis and star anise in a small pan on the stove
  3. Pour over the oil and heat over the lowest flame until hot and bubbly but before the cumin burns
  4. Strain the hot oil directly onto the spice powder mixture, discarding the ginger, star anise, bay leaves and cumin seeds
  5. Leave the oil in the bowl to cool, then stir up and pour into a jar to store in the fridge. Ideally make this the day before you want to use it so the flavours have time to develop