Tag: sauces

DIY Sauces: Flavor with Homemade Seasonings – Gordon Ramsay’s version

In the culinary world, condiments are often the final touch that transforms a dish from ordinary to extraordinary. But what if instead of relying on pre-packaged condiments, we decided to create our own DIY sauces at home? Bringing your dishes to life with homemade seasonings could be the key to taking your meals to the next level, adding a touch of creativity and customization that you won’t find in packaged products.

Advantages of DIY sauces

Control of ingredients

When you make your own sauces at home, you have the complete control on the ingredients you use. You can avoid preservatives, artificial colors and other additives often found in packaged condiments. Plus, you can choose fresh, high-quality ingredients to ensure maximum flavor and nutritional value.

Flavor customization

Creating your own sauces gives you the freedom to customize the flavor according to your tastes and preferences. You can experiment with different herbs, spices, oils and vinegars to create unique and delicious combinations that fit perfectly with your favorite dishes. Plus, you can easily adjust the amount of salt, sugar, and other ingredients to tailor the sauce to your dietary needs.

DIY sauce ideas

Fresh tomato sauce

Fresh tomato sauce is a classic condiment that can be used in a variety of dishes, from pastas to soups to meats. To make it, simply blend fresh tomatoes, garlic, onion, basil and olive oil until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste and simmer to concentrate the flavors.

Yogurt and cucumber sauce

This fresh and light sauce is perfect for accompanying meat dishes, grilled vegetables or as a salad dressing. Mix Greek yogurt, grated cucumber, minced garlic, fresh mint and lemon juice to create a refreshing, versatile dip that will complement any dish.

Creating DIY sauces at home can be a fun and rewarding way to add a personal touch to your dishes. With complete control of the ingredients and the ability to customize the flavor, the possibilities are endless. Experiment with different recipes and ingredients to discover new combinations that will make your meals even more delicious and unique.

Spicy Salami Spread (Nduja) – Almost Instant Soft Serve Salami

I’m not saying this spicy salami spread is as good as traditional nduja, but I am saying this takes about 3 months less time to make, and still delivers most of the characteristics that make this Calabrian delicacy so amazing. And just in case you’re not familiar with nduja, a few of those characteristics are a rich, spicy, super-savory flavor, and soft, luxurious texture.

Finding some decent salami to use should be simple enough, but depending on where you live, the oil-packed Calabrian chilies may not be as easy to acquire. Any decent Italian market will carry them, so ask your Calabrian friends where they shop, but if that doesn’t work, you can find them online as well. Or, you could use another spicy, jarred pepper product like Sambal, or simply use fresh hot chilies like Fresno, or cherry peppers. If it’s spicy, and it’s a pepper, it will work.

You can substitute bacon for the pancetta, but since bacon is smoked, your final product will taste significantly different. Not bad, just different. In any event, the wonderful ways you can use this are extensive. I gave a few ideas in the video, but other highly recommended uses include adding it to pasta sauces, salad dressings, ravioli fillings, and even as a pizza topping.

Having said that, this stuff is so unique, and delicious, your guests might not leave you with much to experiment with, which is fine, since this is so fast and easy to produce. So, with peak entertaining season right in front of us, I really do hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for about 2 cups Spicy Salami Spread (Nduja):

4 ounces sliced or diced pancetta, cooked, fat reserved

1/3 cup seeded hot Calabrian peppers

3 tablespoons Calabrian pepper oil from the jar

12 ounces sliced salami

1/4 room temp butter

2 or 3 tablespoons olive oil, or as needed to adjust the texture to your liking

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Shrimps With Sweet Chili Sauce

There are lots of available sweet chili sauces at the supermarkets, so I tried using it with shrimps and it came out good. It tasted delicious. Just wanna share this simple way of doing it.

Ingredients:

500 Grams shrimps
1 cup sweet chili sauce (bought from grocery)
2 cloves garlic
spring onion for garnishing

Procedure:

1. Saute the garlic then add the shrimps and stir well. Increase the heat to high and keep on stirring until shrimps are fully cooked.
2. Add the sweet chili sauce then stir and turn off the heat.
3. Garnish with spring onion and serve it hot.