The sauces you know and love may offer a world of possibilities, beyond what you've already explored in your kitchen. Below are four of my most fundamental sauces and pastes, and recipes that help keep that spark alive.
Miso...
to me is one of the most soulful, comforting flavors. The list of its purposes is exhaustive considering its ability to wow crowds with savory marinades or as a secret ingredient in desserts and sweet glazes. Grocery stores that have miso likely have three different types available: red (aka) miso—which has the deepest flavor and is the one most often used in soups, yellow (shinshu) miso, and white (shiro) miso—the lightest and least salty. I keep shinshu miso on hand for salad dressings and for one of my go-to meals: miso-marinated salmon, topped with sesame seeds and green onion on a bed of fresh white rice.
For 2 servings of salmon:
-1 tbsp yellow miso
-½ tbsp cheap sake
- ½ tbsp mirin
- ½ tbsp dark soy sauce
- ¼ tbsp roasted sesame oil
- ½ tbsp water
Toppings:- Sesame seeds
- ½ stalk of green onion
1. Whisk ingredients together, and place salmon skin side down in a flat bowl/container.
2. Spoon marinade over the salmon, and store for 24 hours.
3. Before baking, scrape away most of the marinade back into the bowl to prevent too much miso from burning.
4. Place salmon skin-side down on a sheet of parchment paper or tin foil, and bake at 425º F for 6 min.
5. Spoon marinade back onto the salmon and bake for an additional 3 min (or until the fish flakes easily) for medium rare, or longer if needed.
6. Top with a sprinkle of sesame seeds and diagonally cut green onions.
Gochujang...
will change your life. Made with gochugaru (a Korean chili powder), glutinous rice, fermented soybeans (mejugaru, which is also the building block for Doenjang: a Korean miso-equivalent), and salt. There are a ton of ways to get creative with this paste besides tteokbokki, the spicy Korean rice cake stew and mukbanger favorite. If you're tired of basic roast chicken, you'll find my recipe for a garlicky, peppery, lemony gochujang roast Cornish hen perfect for two...individual servings, that is, as you probably won't want to share.
2 servings of roast hen:
- 1 Cornish hen
- ½ tbsp coarse salt
- Ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp gochujang
- ⅛ cup EVOO
- 12 cloves of garlic, minced
- ½ tbsp ginger, minced
- ½ lemon
- 1 tsp honey- 2 stalks green onion
1. Preheat oven to 300º F.
2. Season the hen inside and out with salt and generous amounts of pepper.
3. Combine gochujang, olive oil, garlic, ginger, lemon, and honey.
4. Use brush or gloved hands to spread sauce mixture all over the hen.
5. Roast breast side up for 45 min-1 hour, or until internal temperature reaches 180º F.
6. Garnish with diagonally cut green onions.
Tahini…
and I are practically attached at the hip. We know and love its role in hummus, salad dressings, and quick noodle sauces, but tahini's rich, nutty flavors should also be hailed for its versatility in sweet recipes. For a new addition to your toast repertoire, make this Chocolate Tahini Spread for pancakes, any bread you have on hand, or even your bowl of oatmeal.
4 servings of spread:
- ½ cup tahini
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 ½ tsp cocoa powder
- Sea salt
- Banana (optional)
1. Whisk to combine tahini, honey, and cocoa powder.
2. Spoon 1 tbsp on carb vehicle of choice, top with a small pinch of sea salt and sliced banana.
Oyster Sauce…
is my lifeblood. It is the backbone of countless Asian dishes— making it very much deserving of love letters, poems, etc. You can find it in every stir-fry recipe, and it can add sweetness to practically any savory dish for a balanced taste. This oyster sauce Chinese broccoli dish is one of the more minimalist ways to appreciate its flavor and is ready in just 15 minutes.
2 servings of gai lan
- 1 fistful of Chinese broccoli (gai lan)
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce
- ½ tsp honey
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil/EVOO
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 tsp of ginger, minced
1. Boil a large pot of water, cook gai lan until it reaches your desired texture (I like to keep the stems a bit crunchy), and drain.
2. Mix oyster sauce, honey, oil, garlic, and ginger in a small bowl and heat over a small pot for no more than 15 seconds.
3. Pour sauce over plated broccoli, and enjoy.
These four sauces and pastes deserve epic poems dedicated to their heroism, but that sounds like an article for another day. For now, I like to sing praise by staying true to their bold, unique flavors while constantly reinventing their purpose. Like a classic beat or melody, they stay fresh and relevant in countless remixes over time.