The extent to which our cooking has changed in the last decades is most immediately reflected in the variety of sauces we use. Traditional English and classic French sauces are still an important part of the repertoire, but they are now joined by Italian sauces for pasta and other dishes, salsas from central and south America, dips and dressings from Asia, marinades and seasonings from Australia, America and the Caribbean.
Sauces
Sauces are intended to enhance the flavours of the food they accompany, not to overwhelm or distort them. The concentrated flavours of a sauce add a dimension to a simply grilled steak, a steamed fish, a bowl of pasta or a salad. A sauce need not be complicated or difficult to make; the trickiest ones are the classic emulsion-based hollandaise and béarnaise family, but even these can be managed with a little care and confidence on the part of the cook. Other sauces are based on a flour and butter roux, on oil and vinegar, on cream or on vegetables or fruit. Many sauces, salsas and dips do not require cooking, some that were once made slowly by pounding or stirring can be made quickly with a food processor or blender.
The consistency of a sauce is important: it should not be so runny that the food is floating in it, nor so thick, especially when based on flour, that it is a solid, gluey blob on the plate and the tongue. A couple of spoonfuls, drizzled around, over, or on the side of the food is what you are aiming for to accompany a steak or a piece of fish; a coating consistency for a pasta dish; and a lightly whisked emulsion of oil and vinegar to dress a salad.
Most hot sauces are best eaten as soon as they are made or within an hour if they are kept warm in a bain-marie*. Stand the pan in a larger pan or deep baking dish of warm or hot water, depending on the sauce. Some cold sauces, such as mayonnaise, will keep for a couple of days; others can be refrigerated for a week or two. Vinaigrette can be kept in a jar; shake well before use.
Reducing a sauce
To reduce is to boil a liquid so that it evaporates and flavours are concentrated. Sauces based on stock are reduced by simmering, so that impurities rise to the surface and can be skimmed off with a spoon or ladle, leaving a clear, shiny sauce.
Alcohols and vinegars to be used in sauces are reduced to a small amount of concentrated flavouring, a few spoonfuls of a syrupy liquid.
Mounting a sauce with butter
Small pieces of unsalted butter may be whisked into a sauce at the last minute to give it a glossy appearance and to add richness. The butter is added off the heat so that it doesn’t turn oily.
Thickening a sauce
A small amount of arrowroot or potato flour mixed with a little cold water can be added to a boiling sauce and it will thicken immediately. Do not overdo the thickening agent, and do not simmer the sauce for more than 4–5 minutes after it has thickened.
Another way to thicken a sauce is with kneaded butter (beurre manié). Mash 15g unsalted butter with 1 tbs flour, using a fork. Whisk small bits of the butter into a hot sauce at the end of cooking to improve the texture and enrich the flavour. This amount will thicken 500ml of sauce.
Cold sauces Vinaigrettes and dressings
Vinaigrettes are often the instant answer for a salad dressing, and indeed the choice of oils and vinegars now available offers much variety. Dressings made with cream or yogurt are just as quick to prepare and deserve to be better known.
Vinaigrette
This simple sauce is made in a few minutes and can be endlessly varied using different vinegars or oils, adding garlic, shallots, herbs or spices. Walnut and hazelnut oil make good dressings for green salads; herb and spice vinegars add aromatic flavours (p. 515); oriental rice vinegar is light and fresh tasting; sherry vinegar and balsamic vinegar give depth of flavour, but use the latter very sparingly. Vinaigrette keeps well for several days in a screw-top jar; just shake it thoroughly before using.
For about 120ml
2 tbs vinegar of choice
salt and freshly ground pepper
6 tbs extra virgin olive oil
Put the vinegar, salt and pepper in a small bowl and whisk until the salt has dissolved. Whisk in the oil until the sauce thickens a little and an emulsion forms. Use with salads and vegetables.
Variations
Anchovy vinaigrette Pound 4 anchovy fillets to a paste, whisk the paste into the vinegar before adding the oil. Add 2 tbs chopped parsley and 1 tbs chopped chives. Use with robust lettuces and chicory.
Garlic vinaigrette Add 1 small garlic clove, peeled and chopped finely, to the vinegar before whisking in the oil.
Lemon vinaigrette Replace the vinegar by lemon juice and, if you wish, add a little grated rind from an unwaxed lemon. Good for grated carrot, mushroom salad, crab and fish salads.
Mustard vinaigrette Add 1 tsp or more Dijon mustard to the vinegar and blend it in before adding the oil. It is particularly good with salads made of bitter leaves, meat salads and with lightly cooked vegetables such as young leeks.
Tomato vinaigrette Peel and remove the core and seeds from 1 large tomato. Cut the flesh into tiny dice and stir into the vinaigrette. Good with fish and meat salads.
Vinaigrette with bacon Fry 6 tbs diced streaky bacon until it is crisp and has rendered its fat. Drain the bacon on kitchen paper, then add it to a salad of spinach, corn salad or radicchio. Add the vinegar (one of the cheaper balsamic vinegars is particularly good for this) to the still-warm pan, scrape up the bits stuck to the bottom of the pan, stir briskly and pour the dressing over the salad. Toss well.
Ravigote sauce Add 1 tbs chopped capers, 1 tbs peeled and chopped shallot and 2-3 tbs chopped herbs (parsley, tarragon, chives and chervil) to the vinaigrette. Good with potato salad and grilled or poached fish.
Oriental ‘vinaigrette’
Makes about 120ml
2 tbs rice vinegar
1 tbs light soy sauce
¼ tsp sugar
1 tbs fish sauce (optional)
½ tsp chilli oil or chilli flakes
1 tbs sesame oil
2 tbs sunflower oil
salt
1 tbs chopped coriander (optional)
Whisk together the vinegar, soy sauce and sugar until the sugar dissolves. Add the fish sauce if you are using it, chilli oil or flakes, the sesame and sunflower oil and whisk to an emulsion. Taste and add salt if necessary; I find it seldom is, because the soy and fish sauce are salty. Stir in the coriander if you wish. Use to dress vegetable, fish and seafood salads.
Soy, honey and garlic dressing
Makes about 120ml
1 tbs light soy sauce
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
½ tbs honey
1 tbs sherry or mirin*
1 tbs sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
4 tbs sunflower oil
Whisk all the ingredients together.
Sauce vierge
This is a good sauce to make in summer when there are really ripe tomatoes. It goes well with grilled and sautéed fish and vegetables, and with Bream baked in a salt crust (p. 244).
For 4
4 ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped finely
2 tbs chopped parsley
2 tbs chopped tarragon
2 tbs chopped chives
1 tbs red wine vinegar
170ml extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper
Combine the tomatoes, garlic and herbs with the vinegar and then with the oil. Season well with salt and pepper and leave to stand.
Fromage blanc dressing
Use with green salads and crisp vegetable salads such as carrot and apple (p. 76) or fennel (p. 77).
Makes about 120ml
2 tsp Dijon mustard
½ small garlic clove, peeled and crushed
100ml low-fat fromage blanc
salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tsp sherry vinegar or wine vinegar
Whisk the mustard and garlic into the fromage blanc. Season with salt and pepper and whisk in the vinegar.
Soured cream dressing
This dressing is good with all green salads.
For about 150ml
1 tbs lemon juice or white wine vinegar
8 tbs soured cream
salt and freshly ground pepper
2–3 tbs chopped fresh herbs – chervil, chives, marjoram, parsley, tarragon
Stir the lemon juice or vinegar into the cream a little at a time. Season and stir in the herbs.
Yogurt and herb dressing
This quickly made sauce can be used for salads, baked potatoes and other vegetables, and as a dip. Use one or two herbs: coriander, dill, marjoram, mint, parsley and tarragon all combine well with yogurt. Fennel seeds can also be used.
Makes about 300ml
4–5 tbs chopped herbs
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
1–2 tbs lemon juice
250ml Greek yogurt
salt and freshly ground pepper
paprika
Stir the herbs, garlic and lemon juice into the yogurt and season with salt, pepper and paprika.
Mayonnaise
This classic sauce is based on an emulsion of egg and oil. Make sure both are at room temperature before making the sauce or it will not thicken. Proportions are 1 egg yolk to 150ml oil. As you become more confident about making mayonnaise, you will find that for making larger quantities, you can increase the amount of oil per egg yolk. Serve mayonnaise with cold poached fish and seafood, cold roast chicken, eggs and vegetables.
Basic mayonnaise
For 5–6
2 egg yolks
salt and freshly ground pepper
1–2 tbs white wine vinegar or lemon juice
300ml olive oil
Whisk or beat the egg yolks with a wooden spoon. Add a little salt and pepper and 1 tbs vinegar or lemon juice. Whisk thoroughly. Now add the oil, drop by drop at first, whisking or stirring all the time. Increase the drops to a slow trickle. Do not try to hurry the process. When the sauce begins to thicken and emulsify, pour in the oil in a thin stream, whisking continuously. When you have a thick, jelly-like consistency, the mayonnaise is ready. Taste and add a little more vinegar or lemon juice if necessary. You can also thin the sauce with a tablespoon or two of warm water.
If the sauce separates because too much oil has been added at once, whisk another egg yolk in a clean bowl and slowly add the separated mayonnaise.
You can make mayonnaise more quickly in a food processor. Put the egg yolks and 1 tbs oil in the bowl and process for 4–5 seconds. Trickle the remaining oil through the feed tube with the motor running slowly. When all the oil has been absorbed, turn off the machine. Add salt and pepper, vinegar or lemon juice to taste and pulse briefly to combine. If the mayonnaise separates, take the mixture from the bowl, wash the bowl, put in another egg yolk and slowly add the curdled sauce.
Mayonnaise made in a food processor can be made with a whole egg instead of egg yolks, but it will not have the same texture as one made with yolks only.
To keep mayonnaise, cover with clingfilm and refrigerate for 2–3 days.
Variations
Green mayonnaise Blanch 100g watercress, spinach, parsley, or a combination of these, in boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain and refresh under cold running water. Squeeze out excess water, chop finely and add to the mayonnaise.
Gribiche sauce Use 2 hard-boiled egg yolks (instead of raw ones) mixed with 1 tsp Dijon mustard. Add salt, pepper, vinegar or lemon juice and oil as for mayonnaise. Stir in 1 tsp each of chopped parsley, chervil, chives, capers and gherkins.
Light mayonnaise Stir 60ml plain yogurt, lightly whipped cream or crème fraîche into the mayonnaise.
Remoulade sauce Add 1 tsp Dijon mustard and 1 pounded anchovy fillet to the egg yolks. To the finished mayonnaise, add 2 tsp each of chopped chervil, parsley, tarragon, capers and gherkins.
Saffron mayonnaise Grind 8–10 saffron threads and soak in 2 tbs warm water. Stir and add the liquid to the mayonnaise.
Tartare sauce Stir in 1 tsp each of chopped parsley, shallot, capers, gherkins and green olives to the mayonnaise.
Vegetable and fruit sauces
These sauces have a wide range of traditional uses. The garlic-based ones are excellent with fish and vegetables, horseradish accompanies both meat and fish, pesto is a classic pasta sauce and the fruit sauces are served with meats, both hot and cold.
Aïoli
This Provençal sauce is traditionally served with salt cod and is very good with poached fresh cod, baked fish, grilled rabbit or chicken and as a dip for raw and cooked vegetables. It is also stirred into bourride (p. 255), one of the fish stews of the region. A true Provençal would use more garlic than is given here.
For 3–4
2–3 garlic cloves, peeled
salt
2 egg yolks
150–180ml olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
Put the peeled garlic in a mortar with a pinch of salt and crush to a paste. Add the egg yolks and bind with the garlic, then start to add the olive oil a drop at a time. Keep working the mixture with the pestle, always in the same direction. It takes longer than making mayonnaise because the garlic thins the egg yolks. When half the oil has been used, the colour will be paler and the sauce quite thick. Work in the lemon juice. Now add the oil in a steady trickle. When all the oil is amalgamated, add a few drops of water if it seems too thick. Aïoli can be made in a food processor, which makes a lighter sauce; see the notes on mayonnaise opposite for this and also for what to do should the aïoli separate.
Aïoli can be made with potato instead of egg yolk – good news for cholesterol watchers. Richard Olney notes in Simple French Food that about 100g boiled potato, cooled until tepid, can be pounded with the crushed garlic and salt before the oil is added. The resulting aïoli is less silken but more digestible.
Using cooked garlic also makes aïoli more digestible. Increase the amount of garlic and boil in salted water to cover for 10 minutes. Drain and when the garlic is tepid crush it and make the aïoli. Cover aïoli and refrigerate until it is to be served.
Skorthalia
Another garlic sauce, skorthalia comes from Greece where it is served with fried fish and vegetables. It is particularly good with fried aubergines and also makes a good dip for raw or lightly cooked vegetables. Skorthalia should be served at room temperature.
For 6
6–8 thick slices white bread
3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
3 tbs wine vinegar
200ml olive oil
Cut the crusts from the bread and soak it in cold water to cover for a few minutes. Squeeze out surplus water and put the bread in a food processor with the garlic and vinegar. Blend to a smooth mixture, then add the oil slowly through the feed tube to make a thick creamy sauce. If it is too thick, add a little water at the end. The sauce can also be made in a large mortar: crush the garlic and pound it with the bread and vinegar, gradually adding the oil.
Tarator sauce
This walnut and garlic sauce is Turkish. It is often eaten as a dip, or served with poached, steamed or fried fish or with vegetables and vegetable salads.
For 6
2 slices white bread, crusts removed
100g shelled walnuts
2 garlic cloves, peeled
3–4 tbs wine vinegar
100–120ml olive oil
salt
Soak the bread in water briefly, then squeeze out surplus water. Process or pound the bread, walnuts and garlic to a paste. Add the vinegar gradually and then the oil to achieve the consistency of thick yogurt. Taste and add a little salt if necessary. If the tarator is too dense, thin it with a few drops of water.
Horseradish cream
We tend to think of horseradish as an accompaniment to beef, but elsewhere in Europe it is just as likely to be paired with fish; it is indeed an excellent accompaniment to white fish and salmon as well as roast or boiled beef. Fresh horseradish is now available more frequently and is infinitely better than the bottled variety. I prefer soured cream for this sauce, but double or whipping cream could be used instead.
For 6–8
80g grated horseradish
300ml soured cream
50g ground almonds
1 tbs lemon juice
1 tsp sugar
1 tbs chopped chives (optional)
Pour boiling water over the horseradish and leave for a few minutes. Drain it well and mix it into the cream with the almonds. Stir in the lemon juice and sugar, taste and add a little more if necessary. Put the cream into a dish and scatter over the chives.
Horseradish and apple sauce
This sauce is eaten in southern Germany and Austria with boiled beef, smoked meat and sausages as well as with fish. For a milder sauce, use more cream or add a few fresh breadcrumbs to the mixture.
For 4
30–40g grated horseradish
2 tbs lemon juice
1 medium cooking apple
salt and sugar to taste
80ml soured cream
Stir 1 tbs lemon juice into the horseradish so that it does not turn brown. Peel, core and grate the apple, mix it with the horseradish together with the remaining lemon juice. Season with a little salt and sugar, and leave for 10–15 minutes before stirring in the cream.
Red pepper coulis
This sauce dates, I believe, from the days of nouvelle cuisine. It is colourful and can be sharpened in flavour by the addition of a red chilli. Serve it with vegetables, fried polenta or couscous.
For 4–6
3 large red peppers
60–70ml olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper
Roast the peppers and remove their skins (p. 151). Remove the core, white membranes and seeds. Leave aside a little of the pepper and purée the remainder in a food processor with the oil and seasonings. Chop the pepper kept aside into small dice and add to the coulis.
Uncooked tomato coulis or passata
A coulis or passata is a smooth-textured purée which can be used on its own or to flavour other sauces. An uncooked tomato coulis is only worth making if your tomatoes are ripe, thin-skinned and bursting with flavour. If they aren’t, a cooked sauce (pp. 377–8) will taste better.
Makes about 400ml
750g tomatoes, peeled
salt and freshly ground pepper
Cut the tomatoes in half around the circumference and squeeze out all the seeds. Chop the flesh coarsely and season with salt and pepper. Raw tomatoes contain a lot of water which will separate out. The best way to eliminate it is to strain the chopped and seasoned tomatoes for 30 minutes in a sieve over a bowl and then push the remaining flesh through a sieve or purée in a food processor. Taste for seasoning. Serve with cold fish or chicken, a fish or vegetable terrine, or as a sauce for pasta.
Variations
• You can stir in a tablespoon of thick cream, or add a squeeze of lemon juice to sharpen the flavour, or whisk in a tablespoon of vinegar and 2–3 of olive oil. Chopped herbs can be added too.
Pesto
Originally a Genoese sauce for pasta, pesto is now used with vegetables, on pizzas, in breads (p. 452), and as a dip or spread for crostini and bruschetta. It is still one of the best sauces for pasta and gnocchi
For 4
6 large handfuls basil
3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
3 tbs pine nuts
80g Parmesan or Pecorino, grated
150–200ml extra virgin olive oil
Put all the ingredients except the oil into a food processor and blend. Scrape down the sides and add the oil slowly through the feed tube until you have a thick green sauce. To make a thinner sauce, add more olive oil. If you don’t have a food processor, start with the basil and garlic in a large mortar and pound with a pestle. Add the pine nuts a few at a time, then add cheese and olive oil alternately, pounding each addition thoroughly before adding more. When you have a thick paste add more oil to obtain the consistency you want.
Variations
Coriander pesto Use coriander instead of basil.
Parsley pesto Replace the basil with flat-leaved parsley and if you wish use walnuts instead of pine nuts.
Rocket pesto Use rocket with walnuts.
Watercress pesto Use watercress with walnuts.
Salsa verde
This versatile Italian sauce is made with a large quantity of flat-leaved parsley, a smaller amount of basil or mint, anchovies, capers and garlic. It sometimes includes hard-boiled egg yolks, or breadcrumbs soaked in vinegar. Serve with poached fish (it is particularly good with cod) or fish baked in salt (p. 244), grilled meats or sausages, or with vegetables such as artichokes, cauliflower or broccoli.
For 4
about 200g parsley, leaves only, chopped
small bunch basil or mint, leaves only, chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
2 tbs capers, chopped
6–8 anchovy fillets
150–200ml extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper
Blend the herbs, garlic, capers and anchovy fillets in a food processor, scrape down the sides of the bowl and trickle in the oil through the feed tube to make a smooth sauce. Use enough oil for the consistency you want. Season to taste.
If you don’t have a food processor, pound together the garlic, capers and anchovy, mix with the herbs, whisk in the oil and season to taste.
Mint sauce
Makes about 125ml
3 tbs chopped mint leaves
1 tbs light muscovado sugar
3 tbs boiling water 4 tbs wine vinegar
Pound the mint and sugar together. Add the boiling water and leave to infuse. When it is almost cold stir in the vinegar. Ideally the sauce should stand for an hour or two before serving with roast lamb.
Parsley and lemon sauce
For 4–5
80g parsley, chopped finely
2 shallots, peeled and chopped
1 tbs Dijon mustard
juice of 1 lemon
150ml extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper
Whisk all the ingredients together and serve with grilled fish or chicken.
Cranberry sauce
For 8–10
180g sugar
150ml water
100ml orange juice
grated rind of 1 unwaxed orange
350g fresh or frozen cranberries
Bring the sugar, water and orange juice to the boil over moderate heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add the orange rind and cranberries, bring to the boil again and simmer until the cranberries begin to pop. Skim off any froth, cool and then refrigerate. Serve with roast turkey.
Cumberland sauce
One of the best sauces to accompany cold meats.
Makes about 150ml
1 unwaxed orange
4 tbs red currant jelly
1 tbs Dijon mustard
juice of 1 lemon
salt and freshly ground pepper
60ml port
Pare the rind from the orange, leaving behind the pith. Cut the peel into matchstick pieces and blanch them in boiling water for 3–4 minutes. Drain them. Put the red currant jelly, mustard, lemon juice and a light seasoning of salt and pepper in a bowl, put the bowl over a pan of simmering water and stir to melt the jelly. Add the orange peel and the port and stir for another 3–4 minutes. Leave to cool.
Dipping sauces
Dipping sauces are the oriental answer to dressing plainly cooked foods. Refreshing and aromatic, they are good with fried or grilled fish, prawns, grilled squid, spring rolls or chicken satay.
Thai dipping sauce (Nuoc cham)
This light dipping sauce is based on fish sauce diluted with water and flavoured with chillies, garlic, lime juice and sugar. Sometimes other flavourings, such as grated ginger, crushed dry-roasted* peanuts, chopped coriander or mint, are added.
Fish sauce has a pronounced flavour and is salty, so you may want to use less than is suggested here. Proportions of fish sauce, lime juice, chilli and sugar can be varied to taste.
Makes about 125ml
3 tbs fish sauce (p. 520)
3 tbs water
2 tbs lime juice
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed thoroughly
2 small chillies, seeded and chopped finely
1 tbs sugar
Combine all the ingredients and stir until the sugar has dissolved.
Note
If you don’t want to use fish sauce, make the dressing with light soy sauce. It will, of course, taste quite different, but it can serve the same purpose.
Chinese dipping sauce
Makes about 100ml
3 tbs light soy sauce
3 tbs rice vinegar
1–2 tsp sugar
1 tbs finely chopped spring onion
1 tbs finely chopped ginger
Combine the soy sauce, vinegar and sugar and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Stir in the spring onions and ginger.
Sweet chilli sauce
This sauce is quick and easy to make, and if you make a larger quantity it will keep for 2 weeks in the refrigerator. Serve with barbecued prawns (p. 266).
Makes about 150 ml
125ml water
6 tbs sugar
4 medium red chillies, seeded and sliced finely
3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
2cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced finely
80ml rice wine or cider vinegar
1 tbs fish sauce (p. 520)
small bunch coriander, chopped
Heat the water and sugar together to make a syrup, let it thicken a little, then stir in the chillies, garlic, ginger, vinegar and fish sauce. Bring to the boil and simmer for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and pour into a bowl. When it has cooled, stir in the coriander. Taste for seasoning. I do not add salt because the fish sauce is salty, but you may wish to.
Hot sauces Roux-based sauces
These sauces are based on a thickening of flour and butter combined with milk or stock. By adding flavours to the basic sauces, you can develop a varied repertoire. If you add a tiny amount of diced butter at the end, the sauce will have an attractive gloss.
Béchamel sauce
This is the French version of white sauce, which I prefer because, despite taking a little more trouble, it has more flavour from infused herbs and spices.
For 280–300ml
300ml milk
1 bay leaf
6 black peppercorns
30g butter
2 level tbs plain flour, sieved
salt and freshly ground pepper
nutmeg
Heat the milk with the bay leaf and peppercorns until it almost reaches boiling point. Remove the pan from the heat, cover and infuse for 10 minutes. Heat the butter in a thick pan; as soon as it starts to foam, whisk in the flour. Keep whisking over low heat for 1–2 minutes, then remove the pan from the heat. Strain in a little of the milk, whisking until a smooth paste is formed. If you have a smooth base at this stage, the sauce is less likely to turn lumpy. Return the pan to the heat, strain in the rest of the milk, whisking all the time until the sauce boils. Season with a little salt, pepper and grated nutmeg. Put the pan on a heat diffuser and simmer very gently for 10 minutes, stirring or whisking frequently.
If the sauce does turn lumpy, put it through a fine sieve or blend it.
Keep it warm in a bain-marie* if it is not to be used at once, and put shavings of butter over the top while it is still hot to prevent a skin forming. Béchamel will also keep for 2–3 days covered with clingfilm in the refrigerator.
Variations
Thin béchamel sauce Use only 20g butter and 1½ tbs flour. This is a useful base to which other ingredients can be added.
Cheese sauce (Sauce mornay) This is a béchamel to which grated hard cheese is added. Parmesan, Gruyère and Cheddar are all suitable. Use a thin béchamel and stir 30g grated cheese into the finished sauce off the heat.
Cheese sauce is used with vegetables and fish, often for reheating them gently or as the base for a gratin; if it were made with a standard béchamel, it would become too thick.
Mushroom sauce Purée 6og small white mushrooms, raw, in a food processor and stir the purée into the thin or thick finished béchamel. Use with vegetables or as the base for a gratin.
Onion sauce (Sauce soubise) Cook 2 large sliced onions in 6og butter in a covered pan until very soft. When they have softened to a pale mass, whiz them in a blender and incorporate the purée into the thick or thin béchamel. Add 60ml single cream. Onion sauce is an excellent accompaniment to roast or grilled lamb.
Parsley sauce Blanch 50g parsley leaves in boiling water for 1 minute. Drain and refresh under cold running water. Squeeze out excess water in your fist and dry the parsley on kitchen paper. Chop it finely and stir it into the sauce with 20g butter cut into small pieces. A squeeze of lemon juice is good if the sauce is to go with fish. Serve with poached fish, chicken, boiled or steamed vegetables.
Velouté sauce
Velouté sauce is made with chicken, fish or vegetable stock (p. 4–6), depending on what it is to accompany.
Makes about 300ml
400ml stock
20g butter
1½ level tbs plain flour, sieved
salt and freshly ground pepper
about 50ml crème fraîche or double cream
Heat the stock. Melt the butter in a heavy pan and when it foams whisk in the flour. Cook for 1–2 minutes, then take the pan from the heat. Whisk in a little of the stock and keep whisking until you have a smooth paste. Return the pan to the heat, whisk in the rest of the stock and keep whisking until it comes to the boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 20–30 minutes to reduce the sauce. Stir from time to time. If any impurities rise to the surface, skim them off Season with salt and pepper and add enough cream to give a consistency that coats the back of a spoon. Serve with fish or chicken.
You can keep the sauce warm in a bain-marie* for an hour. Once cooled, the sauce can be covered with clingfilm and refrigerated for 1–2 days.
Variations
Sauce Bercy Chop 2 peeled shallots finely and cook them in 100ml white wine, boiling to reduce the liquid by two-thirds. Add the shallots and their liquid to the velouté sauce before it is reduced and simmer for 20–30 minutes until it reaches a consistency which coats the back of a spoon. Take the pan from the heat and instead of cream, stir in a squeeze of lemon juice, 30g butter and a little chopped parsley. Serve with fish, chicken, steamed or boiled vegetables.
Tomato velouté sauce Stir 2–3 tbs tomato purée into the reduced velouté and serve with chicken, eggs or vegetables.
Bread sauce
Thickened with bread rather than flour, this mixture makes a moderately thick sauce. For a thinner sauce, add more cream; for a thicker one more breadcrumbs. The easiest way to make breadcrumbs is in a food processor or blender, and you can make the crumbs as coarse or as fine as you want. Serve with roast turkey, chicken, game or pork.
For 5–6
300ml milk
1 onion, peeled and stuck with 2 cloves
6 black peppercorns
1 blade of mace
1 bay leaf
salt
60g day-old breadcrumbs
60ml double cream
30g unsalted butter, cut into pieces
Bring the milk slowly to the boil with the onion, peppercorns, mace, bay leaf and a pinch of salt. Take the pan from the heat, cover and infuse for 30 minutes. Strain and bring the milk to the boil again. Stir in the breadcrumbs and simmer gently for 5–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens. Whisk in the cream. Take the pan from the heat and whisk in the butter.
Butter sauces
These sauces are mixtures of butter suspended in egg yolk. Mayonnaise, which uses oil not butter, is on p. 361. The recipes here are for hollandaise, béarnaise and similar sauces.
Hollandaise sauce
Hollandaise is excellent with poached fish, freshly boiled prawns, asparagus, artichokes and eggs (see eggs benedict, p. 50).
For 5–6
3 tbs wine vinegar or white wine
1 tbs water
2 egg yolks
180g unsalted butter, chilled and cut into
8–10 small pieces
salt and freshly ground pepper
1–2 tbs lemon juice
Heat the vinegar or wine in a small heavy pan and reduce to about 1 tbs. Let the pan cool. Add 1 tbs water and whisk in the egg yolks and keep whisking over low heat until the eggs are thick and mousse-like. Make sure the pan does not overheat or the eggs will separate; a heat diffuser is useful here. If you prefer, make the sauce in a bowl set over simmering water or in a double boiler. Add a piece of butter and whisk it in thoroughly before adding the next. When all the butter is incorporated, the sauce should have the texture of thick cream. Season it with salt, pepper and a little lemon juice.
If the sauce should separate, try beating in 1 tbs of cold water. If that doesn’t work, stir a new egg yolk in a clean pan or bowl and add the failed sauce a little at a time off the heat. As it thickens, continue with the recipe.
Hollandaise is best eaten as soon as it is made, but you can keep it for about an hour in a bain-marie*.
Variations
Maltaise sauce Whisk in the juice of a blood orange instead of lemon juice when the sauce is finished. This sauce is particularly good with asparagus.
Mousseline sauce Stir 60ml whipped cream into the finished sauce. Serve with crab, fish or chicken.
Béarnaise sauce
This is the perfect sauce for grilled steak or a fillet of beef.
For 5–6
100ml white wine
3 tbs tarragon or wine vinegar
3 shallots, peeled and finely chopped
3 tbs finely chopped fresh tarragon
180g unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 egg yolks
salt and freshly ground pepper
Heat the wine and vinegar in a small pan with the shallot and 2 tbs tarragon; reduce to 2 tbs of syrupy liquid. Let it cool, then strain through a fine sieve, pressing the shallots and tarragon to extract all the flavour. Return the liquid to the pan. Melt the butter gently in a separate small pan and set aside to cool. Whisk the egg yolks into the wine and vinegar infusion over very low heat. Make sure the pan does not overheat or the eggs will separate; use a heat diffuser. You could make the sauce in a bowl set over simmering water or in a double boiler. Pour in a tablespoon or so of butter and whisk it in thoroughly before adding the next. Continue until all the clear butter is used, and leave the white residue in the pan. Stir in the remaining tarragon and season. Keep warm in a bain-marie* if necessary, and eat as soon as possible.
Should the sauce curdle, see the notes at the end of Hollandaise sauce, p. 374.
Variations
Sauce paloise This is made in the same way as béarnaise, using mint instead of tarragon. Paloise goes well with poached salmon, grilled chicken or lamb.
Green peppercorn sauce Make a béarnaise sauce without the tarragon and add 1 tbs crushed green peppercorns. Serve with steak.
White butter sauce (Beurre blanc)
This sauce is less tricky to make than hollandaise and its variations because it does not use egg yolks. It is an emulsion of butter and reduced wine and vinegar.
For about 5–6
80ml white wine
80ml wine vinegar
2 shallots, peeled and finely chopped
250g unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
salt and freshly ground pepper
Boil the wine, vinegar and shallots until reduced to 2 tbs. Turn the heat very low – a heat diffuser is useful here – and gradually add the butter, whisking in a few pieces at a time, and waiting until each lot is absorbed before adding more. Do not let the butter become oily. If the pan is too hot, remove it from the heat and whisk in more butter. When all the butter is absorbed, the sauce has a creamy consistency. Taste and season if necessary. Beurre blanc is best served at once. If you need to keep it for a few minutes, set the pan in a bain-marie*.
This sauce has a delicate flavour and is served with grilled or poached white fish; it is less successful with oily fish such as salmon. Beurre blanc is also good with boiled or steamed vegetables.
Variation
• Add 1–2 tbs finely chopped fresh herbs to the sauce with the shallots.
Vegetable and herb sauces
Vegetable purées are sometimes used as sauces on their own or to thicken and flavour more complex sauces. Sauces that rely only on a purée for thickening do not have the smooth glossy appearance of roux-based or butter sauces, but they have the concentrated flavour of the vegetable, and can be virtually fat-free. Purées can also be used in conjunction with roux-based sauces – see mushroom sauce and sauce soubise (p. 371). Hot herb sauces, like their cold counterparts, have very clear distinctive flavours.
Barbecue sauce
This is a version of the all-American barbecue sauce, originally derived from Helen Brown’s West Coast Cook Book. Barbecue sauce is essentially for spare ribs, but can be served with grilled steaks, hamburgers or chicken.
For 6
6 garlic cloves, unpeeled
100ml olive oil
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
1 small green pepper, chopped
300g tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tbs chilli powder
salt
50ml wine vinegar
Pour boiling water over the garlic and simmer for 10 minutes. Drain, rinse under cold water, peel and crush the garlic. Heat the oil and soften the onion and pepper. Add the tomatoes, oregano, chilli powder, garlic and a little salt. Simmer for 10 minutes, then stir in the vinegar. Cook slowly for a further 10 minutes, then sieve. Reheat before serving.
Courgette coulis
Makes about 300ml
300g courgettes, sliced
½ tsp finely chopped rosemary leaves
2 tbs olive oil
80–100ml vegetable stock (p. 4)
salt and freshly ground pepper
Lightly fry the courgettes and rosemary in the oil. Add 80ml stock and the seasonings, cover and simmer until the courgettes are soft. Purée in a food processor, and if the purée is too thick add a little more stock. Serve warm or cold with vegetables – it is very good with new potatoes and with early peas and carrots.
Salmoriglio
This potent oregano sauce comes from Sicily, where it is spooned over grilled fish, scallops or prawns, roast meat or green vegetables. Use it sparingly.
For 6–8
150ml olive oil
3 tbs hot water
juice of 2 lemons
1 tbs finely chopped fresh oregano
2 tbs finely chopped parsley
salt and freshly ground pepper
Beat the oil and water together in a bowl over hot water or in the top of a double boiler until they form an emulsion. Gradually beat in the lemon juice and herbs. Season. Beat for 4–5 minutes over simmering water until a smooth sauce is obtained. Serve at once.
Sorrel sauce
Sorrel is one of the few herbs not readily found in the shops, which is a pity, but if you have a bit of spare space in the garden, do consider planting it since it grows in profusion. The leaves are soon cooked to a sauce for fish, eggs or other vegetables. I also like a thick sorrel sauce to accompany a rack of lamb or grilled lamb chops.
For 4
300g sorrel leaves
30g butter
180–200ml double cream, or crème fraîche
salt and freshly ground pepper
lemon juice (optional)
Remove thick stalks and cook the sorrel gently in the butter. It will melt and turn a dull, khaki colour quite quickly. In a few minutes, you will have a sorrel purée. Stir in the cream gradually; sorrel is quite acidic and it is important to balance the sorrel and cream, so taste as you stir to find the balance that suits you. Season with salt and pepper and a dash of lemon juice if you wish. Serve hot.
Variation
Watercress sauce Replace the sorrel with watercress.
Tomato sauces
There are many different tomato sauces, from the simple uncooked tomato coulis or passata (p. 366) to complex long-simmered sauces with meat, vegetables and herbs. Plum tomatoes are probably the best tomatoes for sauce making, but more important than the type is ripeness. An uncooked or lightly cooked sauce depends on perfectly ripe tomatoes. A cooked sauce made with pale, firm tomatoes picked before ripening can be given a boost with tomato purée or sun-dried tomatoes, herbs and spices. Canned tomatoes also need some help, but they tend to have more flavour than many watery supermarket tomatoes.
Tomato coulis or passata
Makes about 350ml
1 small onion, peeled and chopped finely
2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
4 tbs olive oil
750g ripe tomatoes
3–4 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried thyme
1–2 tsp sugar
salt and freshly ground pepper
Sauté the onion and garlic gently in the oil until soft, but don’t let them turn brown. Cut the tomatoes in half around the circumference and squeeze out the seeds. Chop them and add to the pan with the thyme, sugar, salt and pepper. Simmer gently, uncovered, for about 30 minutes until nearly all the liquid has evaporated. Press the mixture through a sieve and taste for seasoning.
The coulis will keep for a few days refrigerated or you can freeze it. Serve hot or cold, either on its own or to flavour other sauces.
Quick Italian tomato sauce
This sauce comes from my friend Francesco Radaeli, an antiquarian bookseller who is an excellent cook. The quantity can easily be increased (this amount is enough for 2–3 people) and it makes a good rapid pasta sauce.
Makes about 250ml
4 tbs olive oil
1 x 400g can chopped tomatoes, drained
2–3 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped finely
½ tsp sugar
½ tsp chilli flakes
salt and freshly ground pepper
a few basil leaves, torn
Heat half the olive oil, add the tomatoes and garlic and bring to the boil. Season with sugar, chilli flakes, salt and pepper, and simmer for 15 minutes, until all excess liquid has evaporated. To serve, stir in the remaining olive oil and a few basil leaves.
Variations
• Diced pancetta* can be lightly fried in the oil before the tomatoes are added.
• Other herbs can be added to the sauce with the seasonings: oregano, marjoram and thyme are all good with tomatoes.
Rich tomato sauce
Makes about 500ml
1 small onion, peeled and chopped finely
1 carrot, peeled and chopped finely
1 stick celery, chopped finely
2 tbs olive oil or 30g butter
1 tbs flour
150ml vegetable or chicken stock (p. 4) or white wine
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1kg tomatoes, seeded and chopped
2 tbs tomato purée or sun-dried tomato paste
1 bouquet garni*
1 tsp sugar
salt and freshly ground pepper
Sauté the onion, carrot and celery in the oil or butter until lightly coloured. Stir in the flour, and when the mixture bubbles and foams, turn down the heat and add the stock or wine. Stirring continuously, increase the heat somewhat and bring to the boil. Add the garlic, tomatoes, tomato purée or paste, bouquet garni and seasonings. Cover and simmer gently for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
Remove the bouquet garni, rub the sauce through a sieve, taste and adjust the seasonings if necessary. If it is too liquid, return the sauce to the pan, bring to the boil and reduce to the consistency of double cream. Serve hot.
The sauce will keep for a few days refrigerated and freezes well.
Bolognese sauce (Ragù)
There are many versions of this famous sauce, and too many of those served in restaurants are indifferent or even downright bad. It is not difficult to make, and a properly made, rich Bolognese sauce is one of the best sauces for pasta.
Makes about 500ml
30g butter
1 small onion, peeled and chopped finely
1 carrot, peeled and chopped finely
1 stick celery, chopped finely
100g pancetta*, diced
100g lean beef, minced
100g lean pork, minced
1 tbs chopped fresh thyme and marjoram, or ½ tbs dried
80ml red wine
200ml meat stock (p. 5)
200ml tomato coulis (cooked version, see opposite)
salt and freshly ground pepper
Heat the butter in a heavy pan and gently cook the onion, carrot, celery and pancetta until soft. Add the minced beef and pork and fry over medium heat, stirring constantly until the meat is browned. Sprinkle over the herbs, pour over the wine and half of the stock. Simmer until the liquid is absorbed. Add the remainder of the stock and simmer again until most of it is absorbed. Now pour in the tomato coulis, season and simmer for 15–20 minutes, to allow the flavours to combine and the sauce to come to a thick, rich consistency.
Serve hot with pasta – this quantity of sauce is enough for fresh tagliatelle made with 300g flour and 3 eggs (p. 209) or with polenta.
Salsas
Salsa is the Spanish word for sauce, but in English salsa is more specifically used to mean an uncooked sauce from Latin America or the Caribbean. Mexican salsas are the best known and often the simplest in terms of ingredients. In any restaurant in Mexico there will be a bowl of the salsa cruda on the table. All salsas have some heat from chillies, but you can add or subtract chillies according to your taste. The point of a salsa is to be piquant but not explosive, adding zip to the food it accompanies, not overwhelming it. Originally the food was most likely to be a corn-based dish of enchiladas or tamales or a dish of beans; try any of the salsas with the corn cakes (p. 199). Salsas are also perfect accompaniments to meat, fish and vegetables, especially when these are grilled or fried.
Make sure the ingredients are fresh and well flavoured; salsas made with pale unripe tomatoes or tired herbs don’t work. Salsas are to be eaten fresh: don’t make them too long in advance – an hour or two to allow the flavours to blend is about right.
Salsa cruda
This is the recipe for the everyday salsa which is often made with the juice of a bitter orange instead of vinegar. Seville orange juice can be used in season, otherwise use a mixture of orange and lime or lemon juice.
For 4
4 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
3–4 jalapeño or other chillies, seeded and chopped
5 tbs finely chopped coriander
1 red onion, peeled and chopped finely
80ml sherry vinegar or a mixture of orange and lime juice
salt
Combine all the ingredients and serve at room temperature.
Avocado and orange salsa
For 5–6
2 oranges
2 avocados
1 green chilli, seeded and diced
1 red pepper, diced
4 spring onions, chopped
3 tbs chopped coriander
3–4 tbs lime juice
3 tbs olive oil
seeds of 2 cardamom pods*, crushed
salt and freshly ground pepper
Peel the oranges, removing any pith, and cut the flesh into segments (p. 73). Work over a bowl to catch any juices. Cut the flesh into pieces and drop them into the bowl, discarding any pips. Peel, stone and dice the avocado and combine it at once with the orange to prevent it discolouring. Add the chilli, pepper, spring onions and coriander. Whisk together the lime juice, olive oil and seasonings and stir into the salsa. Taste and sharpen with a little more lime juice if necessary. This salsa goes well with ham, cold chicken or turkey.
Variation
• Replace the oranges with the flesh of half a small ripe pineapple.
Mango and red pepper salsa
For 5–6
1 large ripe mango
1 red pepper, seeded and diced
½ cucumber, seeded and diced
1 red chilli, seeded and diced
½ small red onion, peeled and chopped
3 tbs chopped mint
4 tbs lime juice
salt and freshly ground pepper
Peel the mango, cut the flesh away from the stone and dice it. Combine all the ingredients, taste and add more seasoning or lime juice if necessary. Cover and leave for an hour or two before serving to allow the flavours to blend. Serve with seafood (it is particularly good with crab), with grilled pork or chicken.
Variation
Papaya and melon salsa Replace the mango by a papaya, the cucumber by half a small melon and the mint by coriander. This salsa may also need a little more lime juice.
Pomegranate and avocado salsa
For 4
1 small red onion, peeled
1 red chilli
1 large pomegranate
1 large avocado
3 tbs olive oil
2 tbs red wine vinegar
3 tbs chopped coriander
salt and freshly ground pepper
2–3 tbs lime or lemon juice
Chop the onion finely, slice the chilli finely, extract the seeds from half the pomegranate and squeeze the other half for the juice, cut the peeled and stoned avocado into small cubes. Combine these with the oil, vinegar and coriander, taste and season with salt and pepper. Add enough lime or lemon juice to give a slight sharpness (pomegranates vary in sweetness). Leave at room temperature for an hour or two for flavours to mingle.
Relishes
Salsas are specific to Latin American cooking, even if we have adapted them and invented new versions. Other parts of the world have similar freshly-made sauces – chutneys, acars, sambals, raitas – depending on their origin. They are served with rice or flat breads, grilled or barbecued meat or fish, curries and vegetable dishes. Some add piquancy with spices and chillies, others have a cooling effect. Although best eaten soon after they are made, most of these sauces will keep for a few days if refrigerated.
Coriander chutney
This is a lively fresh-tasting chutney from India. Serve with kebabs, samosas, pakoras and fried or grilled vegetables.
For 4–5
250g coriander leaves and young stalks
2 green chillies, seeded and chopped
1 tbs peeled and chopped ginger
50g sesame seeds, dry-roasted*
salt to taste
juice of 1–2 limes or 1 lemon
Put all the ingredients except the salt and lime juice into a food processor and blend to a paste. Scrape down the sides of the bowl a couple of times. Alternatively pound everything in a mortar. Add salt to taste and enough lime or lemon juice to loosen the paste a little; it should still be quite thick.
The chutney will keep refrigerated for up to a week.
Green mango chutney
For 8
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp coriander seeds
1–2 green mangoes, about 600g
small handful of mint or coriander leaves
2 green chillies, seeded and chopped
small piece of ginger, peeled and chopped finely
salt to taste
1–2 tbs sugar
Dry-roast* the cumin and coriander seeds. Peel the mango and cuts its flesh into cubes and blend it to a paste with the dry spices, mint, chillies, ginger, salt and 1 tbs sugar. For a sweeter chutney stir in more sugar.
Mint chutney
This is a cooling chutney to serve with spiced dishes. It is excellent with fried foods.
For 3–4
1 handful of mint leaves
1–2 green chillies, seeded and chopped finely
½ tsp sugar
salt to taste
5 tbs plain yogurt
Blend the mint, chillies, sugar and salt to a paste in a food processor or pound them in a mortar. Blend in the yogurt.
Raita
A cooling Indian sauce to accompany curries; it can also be served as a dip.
For 4–5
½ cucumber, peeled, seeded, and chopped or grated
½ tsp cumin
2 tbs chopped coriander
250ml yogurt
Whisk the yogurt and stir in the other ingredients.
Cucumber and pineapple sambal
Sambals combining fruit and vegetables with hot and sweet-sour flavours are popular in Singapore and Indonesia. This one goes well with satay, grilled fish or vegetables.
For 6
1 small pineapple
1 cucumber
1–2 red chillies, seeded and chopped finely
2 tbs sugar
2 tbs kecap manis (p. 340) or dark soy sauce
1 tbs fish sauce
Peel the pineapple and remove the ‘eyes’. Discard the central core and cut the flesh into small cubes. Peel the cucumber, remove the seeds and cut it into pieces the same size as the pineapple. Mix together the pineapple, cucumber and chillies. Dissolve the sugar in the kecap manis and fish sauces and stir into the pineapple and cucumber.
Tomato sambal
This sambal makes an excellent accompaniment to pork satay (p. 340) if you don’t like or can’t eat peanut sauce.
For 4
4 shallots, peeled and sliced
4 chillies, seeded and sliced
3 tomatoes, chopped
3 tbs coarsely chopped basil or mint
juice of 1 lime or lemon
salt to taste
Combine all the ingredients and serve at room temperature.
Flavoured butters
Butters flavoured with herbs, spices and other flavourings such as anchovies make very good toppings for plainly cooked meat, poultry, fish and vegetables. They can be added to soups and sauces, or used as a basting liquid; they are good in sandwiches, too. Use unsalted butter at room temperature, and pulse butter and flavourings together in a food processor. Don’t let the butter turn to oil. Alternatively, work the flavourings in with a wooden spoon.
Form the butter into a sausage and wrap in foil or clingfilm. Butters wrapped in this way can be stored in the refrigerator for 2 weeks (1 week if the butter contains a lot of garlic) or frozen.
Make flavoured butters an hour or more before you want to use them to allow the flavours to develop.
Anchovy butter
Makes about 180g
6 anchovy fillets
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed (optional)
150g unsalted butter
2 tbs lemon juice
freshly ground pepper
Blend all the ingredients in a food processor. Serve with grilled fish or steak.
Variations
Garlic butter Combine 150g unsalted butter with 3 crushed garlic cloves, and season with a little salt and freshly ground pepper. Essential for making garlic bread, and good with grilled meat, boiled or steamed vegetables.
Herb butter Combine 150g unsalted butter with 4 tbs of a particular chopped herb and 1–2 tbs lemon juice. Serve basil butter with baked or grilled tomatoes or mushrooms; chive butter with peas or mange-tout; dill or fennel butter with fish or a dish of beans; mint butter with carrots, peas and grilled lamb. Parsley butter is traditionally served with grilled sole and grilled steak and it is perfect with courgettes; tarragon butter goes well with fish, poultry and pumpkin.
Snail butter Combine 150g unsalted butter with 1 peeled and finely chopped shallot, 2 crushed garlic cloves, 2 tbs chopped parsley, 2 tbs lemon juice, salt and freshly ground pepper. Good for heating through shelled mussels, snails of course, and lightly cooked mushrooms.
Marinades
Marinades are an important element in preparing meat or fish to be barbecued, grilled, roasted or stir-fried; they tenderize and enhance flavour and also help to preserve the food. Marinades are usually liquid, but in the Caribbean, Mexico and further south, cooks rub pastes onto the food.
Mix the marinade ingredients together in a container (glass, ceramic) that will not react with acid, immerse the food in the marinade and turn it occasionally. Cover and refrigerate. Meat should be marinated for 3–4 hours and can be left overnight; chicken can be marinated for 1–3 hours; fish and shellfish need only 1–2 hours. Take the food from the refrigerator 30 minutes to 1 hour before it is to be cooked to bring it to room temperature. The marinade can be used to baste the food while cooking. To use it in a sauce, bring it to the boil first to kill off any bacteria there may be from raw meat or fish.
Do not re-use a marinade.
Red wine marinade
For beef, hare and venison
1 onion, peeled and sliced
1 stalk celery, sliced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
4 allspice berries, crushed
a few black peppercorns, crushed
2 bay leaves sprig of rosemary
4 tbs olive oil
½ bottle red wine
French marinade
For poultry, game birds, rabbit or meaty fish such as swordfish and tuna
1 small onion, peeled and sliced
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
1 bay leaf
2 sprigs thyme
a few parsley sprigs
a few crushed black peppercorns
pinch salt
4 tbs wine vinegar
4 tbs olive oil
200ml red or white wine
Mediterranean marinade
For pork, lamb or chicken.
1 garlic clove, peeled and chopped
1 tsp thyme leaves
1 tsp chopped oregano or rosemary leaves
juice of 2 oranges
juice of 1 lemon
1 glass white wine
Oriental marinade
For fish or poultry
2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
3cm fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
2 tsp sugar
1 chilli, sliced
4 tbs chopped coriander – root, leaf and stalk
juice of 2 limes
2 tbs fish sauce
5 tbs rice vinegar
Pernod marinade
For fish and seafood
3 tbs lemon juice
1 tbs fennel seeds or a handful of fresh fennel leaves and stalks
4 tsp olive oil
150ml white wine
3 tbs Pernod or other anise-based drink
Yogurt marinade
For roast and grilled lamb, and for fish
250ml plain yogurt
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
4cm ginger, peeled and chopped
¼ tsp chilli flakes
2 tbs chopped mint
Barbecue marinade
For steaks, pork chops or spare ribs
2 shallots, peeled and chopped finely
1 tbs chopped coriander
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
3 tbs light soy sauce
2 tbs sunflower oil
Jamaican jerk seasoning
For fish, chicken or pork to be barbecued
2–4 chillies, seeded and sliced
3 shallots, peeled and chopped
3 spring onions, chopped
3 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
3cm fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
1 tbs fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp ground allspice
2 tsp ground black pepper
1½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp ground cloves
4 tbs sunflower oil
Put the chillies, shallots, spring onions, garlic, ginger and thyme into a food processor with a tablespoon of water and mix to a firm paste, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Add the spices and oil and blend to a thick paste. If necessary add a little more oil or water. Rub the seasoning onto the meat or fish.
This seasoning will keep for up to 6 weeks in the refrigerator.