Sauces That Will Make You Love Your Own Cooking
I get tired of my own cooking sometimes.
At those times, even the crispy, salty, lemony roasted chicken I just pulled out of the oven seems boring. My pan-seared, grass-fed skirt steak looks unfinished and slightly unappetizing. My vegetables taste a bit too vegetal.
My meal needs just a “little something” to make it taste lighter, brighter and fancier.
I’ve discovered that “little something” is sauce.
Salsa, chimichurri, relish, dressing, aioli, gravy, reduction, pesto, coulis, jus — whatever you want to call it, a drizzle of something can make a meal or a snack twice as good.
Luckily, sauces don’t have to be complicated. In fact, some of my favorites are very uncomplicated. So, go on, bring the sauce to your next kitchen adventure.
Pesto
I know making pesto sounds hard. It’s not. Cleaning the food processor or blender is the most difficult part. If you don’t want to use an appliance at all, use your knife skills — smash, chop and smear everything together for an even simpler, more rustic pesto. Toss your pasta in it, spread it on flatbread, dress some warm roasted beets with it. You can use any green herb (basil, cilantro, parsley) or hearty green (kale, arugula, spinach), and walnuts, pine nuts, almonds or sunflower seeds.
PREPARATION
Toss 2 handfuls of nuts, 2 medium-sized cloves of garlic and 1 teaspoon of salt in the food processor or blender. Pulse only until nuts and garlic are chopped. + Fill the rest of the bowl with the greens, the juice of 1 lemon and ¼ cup of olive oil. Blend, scraping down the bowl every once in a while, until everything is combined and creamy. + Taste and adjust seasoning.
Chimichurri or Salsa Verde
You don’t need a food processor for this, but you can use one if you want to. Don’t whiz it too long, though, because the greens can get slimy. Drizzle this on eggs, grilled meats and fish.
PREPARATION
Finely chop 2 handfuls of herbs. A parsley and cilantro combination is classic, but I’ve thrown in dandelion greens, basil and mint. + Grate or chop a clove of garlic or shallot. Put the garlic and the greens in a jar or small bowl. + Add ½ cup of your oil of choice, the juice of 1 lemon, 2 dashes of apple cider vinegar and 1 teaspoon of salt. Shake vigorously.
Mayonnaise or Aioli
Use an immersion blender for this magical recipe. A chicken salad sandwich is a fine way to use this sauce, or mix in some curry powder, pesto, chili sauce or herbs and garlic, and you have a perfect dollop for roasted new potatoes, steamed cauliflower and broccolini.
PREPARATION
Crack an egg into a wide-mouthed jar. + Add 1½ cups of a neutral oil (sunflower, canola), 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, ½ teaspoon of mustard, ½ teaspoon of salt and 1 dash of white pepper. + Position your immersion blender in the jar so that it’s touching the bottom. Flip it to high speed. You’ll see your mayo start to emulsify (or get thick) at the bottom. + Move the blender slowly upwards to incorporate the oil, until at the top and all the oil is whipped in. End up with a thick, rich, tangy mayo.
Ranch Dressing
It’s insanely easy to make a refreshing, classic ranch dressing. It tastes good even if you leave out one of the creamy components. Don’t forget to add the lemon squeeze!
PREPARATION
Put in a bowl and mix: ½ cup of mayonnaise, ¼ cup of sour cream, ¼ cup of yogurt or buttermilk, 1 grated clove of garlic, 8–10 pinches of chopped fresh or dried herbs (dill, thyme, parsley, chives, rosemary, basil, oregano), 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of cracked black pepper, 1 sprinkle of white pepper and 2 squeezes of lemon.
Garlic Sesame Soy Dressing
This has that Chinese-chicken-salad-from-a-restaurant flavor. I turn to this dressing when I get tired of regular vinaigrette. It’s delicious as a marinade, too.
PREPARATION
Whisk together ½ cup of a neutral oil (sunflower or canola), 2 glugs of toasted sesame oil, 3 glugs of rice or apple cider vinegar, 4 glugs of soy sauce, shoyu or tamari, and 1 small clove of grated garlic. Add sesame seeds and chopped scallions, if available.
Nuoc Cham
This classic Vietnamese dipping sauce wins as a drizzle on cold noodles, grated veggies and grilled meats. I used to work at a modern Vietnamese restaurant in San Francisco called The Slanted Door, where this sauce was served with just about everything. The lime juice is key — make sure to taste as you go.
PREPARATION
Whisk together the juice of 2 limes, ½ cup of warm water and 1 tablespoon of sugar until the sugar is mostly dissolved. + Mix in 4 tablespoons of fish sauce. Taste. + Add more water or lime juice as needed. It should taste bright and strong, with a good salty-sweet-sour balance. Grate in some garlic and add some chopped chiles if heat is desired.
