It’s In the Sauce

August 20, 2024

I am not a fan of jarred sauces. Full of preservatives and artificial ingredient names that I cannot pronounce, it seems ludicrous to invest money and uncertainty in jarred sauces with what seems like an eternal shelf life. Fresh sauces on the other hand, bear no taste resemblance to anything from a jar. Their vibrancy and clean palate taste gives not only flavor and moisture but visual appeal to any dish requiring them. And the health benefits are certain. Master or “mother sauces” fall into these categories: white stock, brown stock, tomato, milk, butter, and wine. But there are many others like fish and vegetable stock based sauces. And in Italian cooking, there are no rules when it comes to making a sauce. Liquids such as broth, wine, milk or citrus are all common ingredients that can become the basis for a great sauce, as well as aromatic vegetables like carrots, celery, onions, fresh herbs and spices. You are only limited by your imagination.

Get my recipe for Red Bell Pepper Sauce here.

Five Sauce Tips

1) Do not use non stick pans for making meat and poultry based sauces. It will be hard to caramelize these ingredients and this is where deep flavor resides.

2) Reducing a sauce( decreasing the volume of liquid in the pan by half) will produce a sauce with a full concentration of flavors.

3) Add fresh herb at the end of cooking; it will provide more intense flavor.

4) A whisk is the best tool for creating smooth sauces.

5) Plastic squeeze bottles are perfect for garnishing dishes with smooth savory or sweet sauces.

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