Pomegranate molasses is made by reducing the juice to a thick syrup, with or without added sugar. It adds extra layers of flavour to traditional north African recipes such as Muhammara dip and bulgar wheat salad.
Feta Cheese
Feta Cheese. Traditional feta is a soft, salty, tangy cheese from Greece that is made from sheep’s and goat’s milk.
Protected Designation of Origin
Protected designation of origin ( PDO ) is legislation used in the European Union and the UK to protect food and drink made or grown in specific geographical areas and using local ingredients and classic recipes and techniques.
Gashouse Eggs
Gashouse eggs are slices of bread with an egg cooked in a central hole which is either baked or fried.
Thai Sweet Chilli Sauce
Thai style sweet chilli sauce or just sweet chilli sauce is a very popular condiment now found across Europe, Australia, Malaysia and America. In Thailand, the sauce is called ‘ nam chim kai ‘ which literally translates as dipping sauce for chicken.
Sichuan Pepper
Sichuan pepper is not like any of its namesakes, the smell and taste are unique. It has a citrus aroma, in fact, it is a member of the citrus family and creates a mild pleasant numbness in the mouth.
Tofu
Tofu or bean curd is made from soy milk. In a process similar to making cheese it is first made into curds which are pressed into blocks.
Douchi or Chinese Black Beans
Douchi ( 豆豉 ) are semi-dried fermented and salted black soybeans used in Chinese cooking. The finished taste is both sweet and salty so the beans are used sparingly as a flavouring to dishes.
Mustard
Mustard is made from the seeds of various varieties of mustard plant which are black, brown or white. Mustard plants can be grown all year round, except in areas of extreme cold winters. The plants are fast growing, reaching up to three meters, with bright yellow flowers in the shape of a cross. Mustard seeds are used in cooking and preparing the popular condiment. Mustard seeds have a range of flavours from sweet to hot and pungent.
Clotted Cream
Clotted cream is a very thick cream made by heating full-fat cow’s milk in a Bain Marie, then leaving to slowly cool.
Fennel
Fennel has an anise-liquorice like aroma and flavour. You can eat the leaves which are very similar to Dill, as garnishes and to add flavour to soups, salads and sauces. The greyish seeds are used in baking, breads and as a spice particularly in Chinese Five Spice and ‘Italian’ sausages found across North America. The large bulb of the fennel plant can be roasted, grilled, cooked in stews and is delicious sliced really thinly and eaten raw.
Harissa Paste
Harissa is a popular North African hot chilli paste generally made from a mix of smoky, roasted red peppers, hot chilli peppers, garlic, spices such as coriander and caraway seeds and olive oil.
Worcestershire Sauce
Worcestershire Sauce is a fermented liquid condiment created in 1837 by two English chemists. It is used in lots of home cooking, burgers, soups, stews and casseroles, principally because of its savoury flavours and as a source of umami. Specifically, Worcestershire Sauce is a principal ingredient in Welsh Rarebit, Caesar Dressing, and the Bloody Mary Cocktail.
Nam prik pao or Thai Chilli Paste
Nam prik pao or Thai Chilli paste is made from roasted garlic, chillies, shallots and as with many Thai base recipes dried shrimp.
Granola
Granola is an increasingly popular breakfast cereal made from baked oats with honey and sugar.
Tomato concassé
Tomato concassé is the flesh from fresh tomatoes that have been peeled, de-seeded and chopped into a dice. It is a staple of many professional kitchens used in sauces such as Chasseur, omelettes, with olive oil, garlic, and basil as a topping for bruschetta and when added to Béarnaise sauce to make Choron sauce, served with fish and seafood.
Amuse-bouche
An amuse-bouche or more correctly in France an amuse-gueule is literally translated as "mouth amuser".
Espagnole
Classic Espagnole sauce has a very strong taste and is seldom used directly, it serves as the starting point for many derivatives, of which there are hundreds in the classical French repertoire.
Ghee
Ghee is a south Asian pure butterfat used for frying and flavouring similar to clarified butter.
Melba Toast
Melba toast is completely dry, crisp, thinly sliced, toasted bread and most often served with soup or pâté. History has it that the name was given to the toast by the world’s most famous hotel manager César Ritz. Melba toast was created by his equally famous chef Auguste Escoffier for the Australian opera singer Dame Nellie Melba, around 1897.
Mirepoix
Mirepoix, a trio of aromatic vegetables, became popular in 19thcentury French cooking.Mirepoix is a small, fine dice normally of onions, carrots, and celery roughly in the proportions 2:1:1. It is the base flavour of many classic sauces and stocks and slow-cooked casseroles and stews.
Massaman Curry Paste
Massaman curry is believed to originate with Muslim traders in Thailand mixing elements of their own culture and local ingredients. In fact, the name is thought to derive from Muslim and to this day it is mostly made with chicken and beef but not pork which is forbidden in Islamic dietary laws. . It is … Continue reading Massaman Curry Paste
Tandoori Masala
Tandoori masala is a mixture of spices traditionally used in Punjabi cooking, particularly with food cooked in a Tandoor oven. It is most famously used in Tandoori chicken, chicken tikka, and butter chicken.
Tandoori Chicken
Tandoori chicken is a classic Indian dish made by marinating raw chicken in a seasoned mixture of yogurt and spices called tandoori masala, this gives the meat a spiced savoury flavour and pink hue. Traditionally the meat is skewered and cooked in a very hot oven, over charcoal or in a Tandoor.
Tandoor
A Tandoor oven is traditionally made from clay and the food is cooked directly above hot coals. Tandoors can reach up to nearly 500 F. Tandoor ovens are certainly very old and are one of the first types of oven.
A Cook's Compendium 