Sage Butter

Image courtesy of anu's healthy kitchen

Another one of the good larder ingredients, this butter provides a wonderful herb element whilst giving a moderate sweetness with the shallot presence. Perfect accompaniment and finishing tool for a variety of sauces, meats, fish, and vegetable dishes.

You will need:

250g salted butter (soft)
4 large shallots (chopped very finely)
tsp brown sugar
10 fresh sage leaves, finely chopped.

In a small pan sear the shallots then turn the heat down to very low, and stir occasionally. When the shallots begin to froth a little / release their sugar, add the brown sugar and continue to stir until the sugar has melted and the shallots are glazed. Allow to cool.

In a small bowl combine all ingredients with the shallot mix above until uniform. Wrap in cling film and form to a sausage shape, then chill until required.

Hollondaise

Image courtesy of forex online

Hollondaise is one of the sauces (despite being my favourite) that is incredibly useful and versatile, as its buttery texture gives rise to many options of the food world. It goes phenomenally well with fish, eggs, meats and vegetables, and can be used as a master sauce also for many other sauce variants.

This mixture makes a batch of about 3/4 portions. But can be chilled if leftovers occur and used as a very luxurious salad dressing.

You will need:

225g unsalted butter
2 egg yolks
juice of half a lemon
tbsp hot water
Pinch cayenne pepper
pinch of salt

The doing bit:

Melt the butter gently in a pan and leave to cool slightly. The butter will have seperated so we only need the oil section, the milk solids aren't required.

In a bain marie, blend the egg yolks to the water and whisk together until the egg yolks mix begins to expand. Remove bain from the heat and add clarified butter in a steady stream whilst whisking, until texture is uniform.

Add lemon juice and seasoning. Serve

Ebi kuzu kiri sauce

This sauce is sharp and intense, and will serve well as a dipping sauce or as a finish aid. It uses clean citrus flavours balanced with rich oyster sauce. Ideal for use with seafood, fish, red meats and poultry.

You will need

2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
Juice of 3 lines
2 tablespoons Thai fish sauce

The doing bit

Gently heat the sugar and fish sauce until the sugar dissolves. Allow to cool and combine with the oyster sauce and lime juice.

Bechamel

Bechamel is to the savoury world what creme patisserie is to the dessert world - a useful "mortar" that has oodles of applications in a multitude of dishes. It's a master sauce for the more lighter sauces we know such as onion sauce, parsley sauce, and other white sauce derivatives. It gives a wonderful medium for many soups also.

Ingredients (makes 1 pint of thick bechamel. Adjust butter flour / liquid levels for lighter versions)

1 pint whole milk
1/2 scored onion, studded with 3 cloves
2 bay leaves
4 black peppercorns
pinch nutmeg
pinch mace
2tbsp plain flour
1 tbsp butter

In one pan combine milk, studded onion, bay leaves, peppercorns, mace and nutmeg. Heat gently but do not allow to boil. Continue to stir occasionally untl onion softens. At this point keep warm on a low heat

In a seperate pan melt the butter until bubbling, then fold in the flour, mixing to a uniform paste with a wooden spoon. Add the infused milk bit by bit, whisking together until in a uniform sauce.

Simmer and stir occasionally for about 20 minutes until flour has cooked out.

Use as a master sauce for veloutes, and other white sauce derivatives.

Cumberland Sauce

image courtesy of taste.com

If theres one sauce i love, its cumberland sauce. It gives a wonderful sweet flavour which is ideal during the winter periods for alot of foods that require the sweetness that this sauce provides. You can have it as a sauce with meats and cheeses, or even with pates or terrines. Its also brilliant for accompanying all poultry and game, and even pork.

Its very easy to make and this batch should be sufficient for a family sized batch - give it a try with your xmas dinner, or other meal you're going to enjoy over the festive season. You will fall in love with it forever.

4 Oranges Zest and juiced
1 k of Redcurrant jelly
250ml of Medium sherry
½ a teaspoon of Nutmeg
½ teaspoon of Cinnamon
80g of Root ginger finely chopped

Melt the redcurrant jelly into the orange juice

Add remaining ingredients and reduce to a jam like consistence