Mine probably isn’t that secret these days, but almost every sauce I add nutritional yeast to. Curry, chilli, bolognese, it just makes them all better.
Tomato sauce and everything hot tomato, especially if you use canned tomatoes, needs a bit of sugar. It makes it 100% better. It does not make it sweet, but all the flavors of the tomato just pop while otherwise it is only sour and bland.
Have you tried balsamic vinegar? The thick, syrupy version? Adds that bit more than just sugar.
Of course, it can be fucking expensive so definitely a luxury.
A splash of milk (probably any dairy?) in stews and meat based sauces just before serving.
Sugar.
People are far too afraid of it. Add a tablespoon to bolognaise: Instant improvement.
Also, balsamic vinegar. There’s very few savory dishes that aren’t improved by a table spoon.
Also, Worcestershire Sauce. Can’t deny the umami.
And yes, nutritional yeast.
Asafoetida and curry leaves. Not exactly secret, but skipping these will make my food taste bland. Also chopping curry leaves will add more flavour.
Do you use fresh or dried curry leaves?
Both. Although dried ones stay longer and are easier to crush by hand.
Good to know since dried are much easier for me to get hold of.
Ground fennel seed.
People use it for chicken, fish and broth and it’s great in all of them but it realy shines in salads.
I used to be just like you, not really liking salads. They were always just a side dish or something to eat when I wanted to be “healthy”. But that changed when I started adding fennel seed.
Now, whenever I make salad I start by adding a ton of FS, think “shit, I added too much”, sit down to eat it only to get back up amd add more.
I hate hate hate fennel. Idk what it is about it but i hate it 😭. To each their own i suppose
Then I strongly encourage you to try fennel seed. It’s an entirely different flavors all together
Sliced watermelon with Tajin spice is the food of the gods.
C20H25N3O
Unsweetened cocoa powder in my chili. I’m not sure how common/uncommon that is, but everyone I’ve ever told looks at me like I’m crazy, right before asking for a 4th bowl. At least Alton doesn’t think I’m crazy.
Hungarian paprika and MSG
MSG
Can’t beat the good old super salt
or fish sauce … which is where MSG was originally derived from when MSG was isolated scientifically
never thought fish sauce did much before … but after using it a bunch of times … all a 2 liter pot of soup, stew, sauce needs is a few drops and it makes a world of difference.
Aka Make Shit Good
For chicken or beef pot-roasted with vegetables, apple juice. I started doing it when recipes called for wine but I had little kids and no money.
Seems like a red grape juice would be closer.
Doesn’t it ferment when you heat it? I don’t know much about chemistry.
No, because you’re heating it to oven temperatures, not just keeping it slightly warm. If it were cool enough to ferment the juice, the meat would be breeding botulism or e coli or something.
No, the heat would kill any yeast that could ferment it. Also it’s usually pasteurized so it won’t ferment.
I do a chicken pizza using tzatziki as the base sauce instead of tomato. Initially I was going to have it on top, but decided to go nuts. With the other Mediterranean ingredients on it, goes deliciously.
Huh, so you made a pzzatzika
hey hey, I cook for a person with nightshade intolerance and this sounds really good thanks!
Wijko saté sauce. It goes with almost anything. I’ll have no shame in it. My Asian partner does.
Nutmeg is a criminally underutilized spice, and a little goes a long way. Damn-near everything I cook gets a little bit of nutmeg.
If what you’re cooking tastes like it’s missing something but you can’t quite put your finger on what it is, in my experience most of the time it’s acid. My go-to way to add that is with a good squirt of yellow mustard.
A little bit of cocoa powder finds its way into a lot of darker colored savory dishes like stews and such
Always, ALWAYS, opt for the nutmeg nut. It keeps surprisingly long and you can make them last up to 2 years with regular use.
Nutmeg… Can’t stand the stuff personally, especially when people put it in white sauces for Italian dishes. It’s OK in sweet desserts.
I am always put off a bit when I notice nutmeg where it doesn’t belong, like in chili. I love it in fall sweets and maybe on roasted squash but that’s about it.
Yeah… putting nutmeg in everything sounds fucking awful.
Have to agree here. I am not a picky eater, and love just about everything, but nutmeg does not sound at all like something I’d enjoy slipped into dishes. OP I’d be cautious about this one
Heat, salt, fat, acid. Technique matters more than secret ingredients.
Using low and slow or high and fast where appropriate depending on the goal. Plenty of fat and salt on everything, and a little acid to brighten up the dish.
