A well made
sauce enhances the flavour of any dish which is congenial to its ingredients
and is either hot or cold in a runny form, can be used in the cooking or served
along! That said we talk here about a few sauces that are a must have for any
stylish kitchen
Published in DNA
FRESH TOMATO
Before getting
into a debate whether the Tomato is a fruit or vegetable, let me tell you that
using fresh tomatoes always makes the best sauce. Look out for tomatoes which
look fleshier (they will have less seeds), chop them finely, season with salt
and freshly ground pepper or fresh green chilies and add to it the usual
suspects i.e. olive oil and garlic, absolutely classic. But with a drizzle or
loads of butter, it’s another thing entirely….and if you throw in some fresh
basil …Voila it will enhance the flavor of the tomatoes! If you have more time
on you the best is to roast tomatoes and garlic in the oven and trust me the
result is incredible. Add to your pasta, dunk your bread or pour it over your
head (just kidding)….Whatever seems right!!
FRUIT COULIS
Hang on…coulis
is not just strained fruit purée with sugar; it can be made savory too with
tomatoes or bell peppers. The method of mixing, sifting, straining and freezing
can be applied to most fruits. Wash the chosen fruit and remove the stalks. Put
the chopped fruit into a pan and add about half the amount again in sugar. Warm
gently and stir constantly, trying not to break the fruit. When the sugar has
dissolved into the fruit juice, take the coulis off the heat and let it cool,
strain and put it into the fridge…simple isn’t it? The easiest way is to blend
the fruit and icing sugar in a food processor, strain for seeds and chill. I
personally like to make ice-cubes of coulis, by pouring it into moulds and
leave them overnight in the freezer and next day I put the cubes in a bag, back
into the freezer and use it whenever I want.
CHOCOLATE
What I like
about chocolate sauce is that you can add it to coffee, drizzle it on ice
cream, top up pancakes, add it to smoothies, milk shakes, puddings, mix it with
yogurt, with cakes etc. And to be honest it is rich and satiny, oh so chocolaty
and gorgeous, and it takes less than five minutes to make. In a small pot over
medium heat, stirring, bring the about 1/4th cup of milk and cream each, a
tablespoon each of unsalted butter and sugar to a boil. Turn off the heat, add
in approximately 3/4th cup of chocolate, leave it for a minute and whisk until
smooth… serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.
SOUR CREAM YOGURT
Sour cream based
dips are usually quite a favorite, however owing to the calorie content, most
people end up feeling guilty and No
fret, don’t give up the pleasure instead whisk some lime juice with plain
yogurt (which has been hung overnight). Remember to whisk it well till it
reaches a sour cream consistency, add in some chopped parsley for flavour...And
Hey presto you have a healthy sauce ready….serve it with some vegetable
crudités, Nachos, Chips or even kebabs! I like to add in a wee bit of beetroot
juice to the sauce while whisking for that delightful pink colour.
CHEESE
I love my cheese
and eat it too; to be honest you can turn your average dish into something
spectacular by adding cheese sauce on it. First make a basic white sauce by melting
butter in a saucepan over low heat; stirring in flour and cooking for a minute
or two, gradually stirring in milk and continue cooking over low heat, stirring
constantly, until sauce begins to thicken, Finally Season with salt and pepper.
This wonder sauce when added to grated cheese can be used for many recipes. The
trick is to slowly add warm milk, ladle by ladle, to your Butter and flour mix
to reach the correct consistency, throw in a Bay Leaf for some drama. Once the
sauce is smooth, and all the milk has been stirred in, add the cheese and
season with salt and freshly ground pepper as desired. And the best part is
that any kind of cheese can be made into a cheese sauce…my favourite is the
blue!
