Tag: sauce recipes

Romesco sauce recipe

This is one of many Spanish recipes I picked up whilst working with a top bloke in a makeshift tapas restaurant for about 3 months, he was my head chef and he’d come to England from Barcelona for work.

Romesco sauce is more of a cold dip, but it goes great with most meat especially steak.

It’s nice and easy to make so let’s get to the recipe!

Ingredients (makes about 400g)

  • 200-250g red peppers, roasted. You can roast your own or use ones in a jar from the shop.
  • 100-150g blanched almonds
  • 2-4 plum tomatoes
  • 1-3 tbsp garlic paste, more garlic will give it more heat I usually chuck quite a lot in
  • Either sherry, cider, white/red wine vinegar or lemon juice (1 or 2 tbsp)
  • 1 tbsp smoked paprika
  • 70-100ml olive oil
  • Handful of fresh basil

Equipment

  • Frying pan
  • Food processor or immersion blender and measuring jug (food processor works best)

Prep and cooking (5-10 minutes)

  1. First you want to lightly toast the almonds so heat the frying pan to a medium-highish heat.
  2. When it’s nice and hot add the almonds and stir/toss them constantly for a few minutes until there’s nicely browned parts on the almonds, remove onto a plate and put to one side.
  3. Drain the red peppers so there’s not too much oil on them and put them in the food processor with the almonds, tomatoes (cut into quarters), garlic, paprika, vinegar and basil. (Everything except the oil).
  4. Blitz until you have a lumpy paste looking concoction.
  5. Leave the food processor running and pour in about 1tbsp of olive oil. After 5-10 seconds (or until the oil is fully mixed in) do this again until you have the consistency you want (the oil will emulsify the whole thing binding it into a sauce/dip)
  6. Add salt and pepper if you think it needs it.
  7. Dip! Or drink?

¿Cuál es la fruta que más se ríe?

La naranja, ja, ja, ja, ja…

Bad jokes aside, romesco is a delicious and easy sauce that can be whipped up in about 5 minutes.

It’s great on a buffet as a dip or you can use it to marinate meat.

Goes well with a bbq 🔥

Sticky takeaway style sweet and sour sauce


No Chinese is complete without the sweet and sour sauce

A favourite of many over the nation, the Chinese takeaway.

I think the chicken balls and sweet and sour sauce are pretty much mandatory when you order a Chinese takeaway.

generic stock photo of Chinese food

This recipe is quick and easy and packs a punch of taste.

I’ll be completely honest i think the sauce in the above image may actually be chilli/sweet chilli looking at it, but that’s what i get for using stock photos.

Ingredients

  • Tomato ketchup
  • Light soy sauce (dark works but it makes a very dark sauce)
  • White wine vinegar (malt works fine but white wine vinegar tastes a little cleaner)
  • Sugar, caster or granulated
  • 1 tin of pineapple chunks/rings
  • Cornflour
  • Salt/pepper to taste, though it shouldn’t need it

Equipment

  • Saucepan
  • Knife (if you have pineapple rings instead of chunks)
  • Chopping board, if you need a knife
  • Wooden spoon

Method

  1. Open the tin of pineapple, KEEP THE JUICE!!! If you bought rings instead of chunks then cut them up.
  2. Put the pineapple and juice in a saucepan.
  3. Add ketchup depending on your palette, i usually use 2-3 tbsp.
  4. Add soy sauce again depending on your palette, i usually use 1-2 tbsp.
  5. Do the same with the white wine vinegar (i use 1-2 tbsp)
  6. Repeat with the sugar (around 50g)
  7. Put the pan on full heat until it comes up to the boil then turn the heat down low and let it simmer for 3-5 minutes.
  8. Whilst it’s simmering mix some cornflour with a little water to make a slurry. The more you use the thicker the sauce will be so it’s best to use a little bit at a time.
  9. If you don’t want the pineapple chunks in the sauce the strain though a sieve then return to the low heat.
  10. Add cornflour and mix until the sauce has thickened.
  11. Eat some chinese food.

A nice simple sauce

Badabing badaboom, sauce in 5 minutes great for dipping or drinking.

Did i say drinking, i meant uh…ok i like my sauces.

Chef on..

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