What secret/special ingredient do you add to certain food/dishes?

pickledonionspaceraider

half a tea spoon of marmite in a big jug of gravy.yum yum

grunnie

A large spoonful of plain yogurt ( I have even used the yogurt bit in a fruit corner if nothing else is available ) when I am making the filling for a quiche.

Nickitree30

pickledonionspaceraider wrote: »

half a tea spoon of marmite in a big jug of gravy.yum yum

Me too. Also I put a bit of marmalade in curries, ketchup in spag bol, lasagne and minestrone soup, and am a recent convert to rice vinegar sprinkled on bland tomatoes to bring out the flavour.

mioliere

Marmite in stews is one of my favourites. Another one, not really a dish though, is to add a teaspoon of balsamic vinegar, along with a little sugar, to fresh sliced strawberries - sounds awful but it really brings out the flavour (I think I found that in one of Jamie Oliver's earliest books). Creme fraiche is great as a base for lots of different sauces, both sweet and savoury - it's lovely with leeks and mushrooms over a pork chop.

Great thread, by the way!

alec_eiffel

Chipotle chillies in pretty much anything savoury. They add a lovely warm, smoky roundness to things that is just fab.

grandmasam

Mash potatoes with half a tub of garlic cream cheese [like philly ] yummy.
Caz

Gintotmelinda

A handful of oats in a mince dish thickens it nicely. Definitely mustard in cheese sauce. Worcester sauce in liver n onions and a bit of sugar in tomato sauces!

Hellyboo

When I make roasted veg I always add a slug of balsamic vinegar, especially if using aubergines. It adds a lovely sweetness but the acidity cuts it back so it just takes away the bitterness of the vegetables IYSWIM. Then mix the roast veg with passata and you've got gorgeous ratatouille.

Also, oregano in tomato bases sauces (bolognaise, passata, even on pizzas) is so yummy and makes a change from basil.

fairtrade

Instant mashed potato ( really doesn't taste of anything) but very useful for thickening gravy,soup or stew.

bexta

Definately Vegemite (or equivalent) in stews and savoury mince.

A pinch of garam masala in stews adds a little something extra without being overpowering.

A pinch of Chinese five spice, or garam masala makes a change from the usual cinammon or mixed spice in cake batters, especially banana bread.

Also, pumpkin cooked with some cinammon and a bit of brown sugar is really yummy, even with 'meaty' dishes.