Secret Ingredients
Discussion
What do you to add that little something to a dish, that gives it that 'magic' spark to make it 'yours'? You know what I mean, the 'thing' you do to a meal that makes all your mates rave about it and want to come for dinner 
For example :-
Chocolate in chiili
Mine
jar of salsa and/or chillis into bolognese sauce.
honey instead of sugar in Thai cooking.
worcester sauce in stroganoff
Season-All on pork chops (before grilling)
For example :-
Chocolate in chiili
Mine
jar of salsa and/or chillis into bolognese sauce.
honey instead of sugar in Thai cooking.
worcester sauce in stroganoff
Season-All on pork chops (before grilling)
Tina K said:
Finely crumbled dried wild mushrooms make excellent 'taste adders' to any savoury dish. They are my secret ingredient for pasta sauce, chili and risotto. I hunt my own in the local woodlands in autumn, slice them up and dry them on a tea towel over a radiator.
There's a very good reason that this works so well: Dried wild mushrooms are very high in free glutamate - the natural form of MSG - which gives a "savoury" flavour to food (the Japanese call it Umami and consider it to be one of the basic tastes along with Sweetness, Sourness, Saltiness and Bitterness). Parmesan cheese, seaweed and tomatoes are also very high in free glutamate. 
ETA: Worcestshire Sauce also has lots of glutamate in it.
Edited by uberscruff on Monday 10th September 15:19
I also swear by a really good chicken stock as the basis of any soup, casserole, or gravy. A quick googling of the aforementioned 'umami', makes me realise that this is again following the same idea.
Whenever I roast a chicken, I leave all the appendages / skinny bits intact to get nice and crispy, then pull them off and freeze them until I have a good potful for stock.
Celery, onions etc also add that 'savoury' character, so they both go into the pot for slow simmering, straining, then reducing. Shop-bought stock doesn't have the depth of flavour required imho, and I personally find that even the best quality stock cubes are too salty.
Whenever I roast a chicken, I leave all the appendages / skinny bits intact to get nice and crispy, then pull them off and freeze them until I have a good potful for stock.
Celery, onions etc also add that 'savoury' character, so they both go into the pot for slow simmering, straining, then reducing. Shop-bought stock doesn't have the depth of flavour required imho, and I personally find that even the best quality stock cubes are too salty.
Edited by Tina K on Tuesday 11th September 01:59
..another really good one for casseroles is Iranian dried limes. Most middle eastern type stores sell them. You wash them under cold water and pierce them in a few places with a very sharp knife (without stabbing youself!) and then add 2-3 to a casserole. They give a slight citrus sharpness. Take them out after cooking..
dbroughton said:
Bunglist said:
Learn to cook properly and you wont need secret ingredients. 
Just seem Marco Pierre White, One of Britains greatest every chefs put a full bottle of Worcester Sauce in a Steak with pepper sauce.Edited by Bunglist on Wednesday 12th September 16:19
in Knightsbridge (on the company tab, fortunately), where the food was so bad that I've virtually dined out out on the story ever since: lobster salad, dressed with stale mayonnaise, diced raw onion and soggy frozen green beans. Absolutely horrible. 
dbroughton said:
i guess everyone has a bad day but I suspect MPW got nowhere near your salad.
When was the last time Gordon Ramsey cooked in his own restaurant? Celeb chefs can cook but once they start empire building then it is time to find somewhere else to eat.
He was 'in' Claridges when I went earlier in the year. Doubtful he got near my plate of food though.When was the last time Gordon Ramsey cooked in his own restaurant? Celeb chefs can cook but once they start empire building then it is time to find somewhere else to eat.
That said, I don't care, it was absolutely awesome anyway!
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