No one wants to live in a world without sauce. Pizza without passata, sushi without soy sauce, or even fries without ketchup—no matter where you’re from, sauce is bound to be part of your local cuisine. And without it, many of the world’s staple dishes would be destined to become a whole lot dryer, and much less appetizing.
The English term “sauce”, funnily enough, stems from the Latin word “salsa”, which literally means “salted”. Written evidence of sauce gracing our kitchen tables goes back thousands of years to the fish sauce used by the Ancient Greeks. And around the same time, the Chinese were also coming up with ways to beef up their cuisine with the invention of doubanjiang, a soybean paste that stretches back to the 3rd century BC!
Fast forward to today, and sauces are an important part of the human culinary tradition. And while it can be tempting to buy premade sauces from the supermarket, it can be also be a lot of fun making your own at home. Who doesn’t love a freshly whipped mayonnaise or a homemade pesto?
The timeless taste of Berlin’s streets—currywurst sauce
For Berliners, currywurst is as classic a dish as hot dogs are for Americans. And while they both involve sausage and ketchup, that’s where their similarities usually end. The main ingredients found in the perfect currywurst sauce are ketchup, paprika, and curry powder. Mix those together with water, margarine, and a dash of sautéed onion for that extra kick and you’ve got yourself a great currywurst sauce.
But as with most sauces, currywurst sauce needs to be paired with something a bit more solid. In this case, a grilled bratwurst chopped into bite-sized chunks is the way to go. To top it off, a sprinkling of curry powder over the final product pleases both the eye and the taste buds. Add a small fork and, as the Berliners say, guten appetit!
For one final touch of authenticity, couple your currywurst dish with a small bread roll. If you ever find yourself at a traditional Berliner currywurst stall, you’ll notice old-timers dipping their bread rolls to absorb every last drop of that delicious currywurst sauce. As your freshly-made currywurst sauce is going to be just as magical as the Berlin original, why not do the same?
Mayonnaise with a twist
Anyone who’s made mayonnaise themselves knows that eggs are a vital part of this classic sauce. Luckily, if you have vegan friends coming over for dinner, have no fear—vegan mayonnaise is just as easy to make as its non-vegan variant. And perhaps more importantly, it’s just as tasty.
Instead of eggs, soy milk is going to be main ingredient in this vegan sauce. Freshly squeezed lemon juice and sunflower oil are old friends to those of us who regularly whip up a classic homemade mayo, and you’re going to be harnessing their goodness with this vegan variety as well. Add in a pinch of salt, a dash of turmeric, and a fews tablespoons of mustard and you’re good to go. Blend all the ingredients together at a high speed until your vegan mayonnaise reaches that magical, creamy consistency.
Once you have your vegan mayonnaise ready, you can either put it in the fridge for later or start enjoying it straight away. And if you’re feeling adventurous, why not even try whipping up some homemade sweet potato crisps with avocado and garlic mayonnaise? After all, who doesn’t love dipping freshly-made fries in homemade mayo?
A new take on a French classic
Whether you know it as white sauce or béchamel, this simple, creamy sauce has been accompanying otherwise bland dishes for centuries. Originating in Italy, this timeless classic found its way to France in the seventeenth century, and was named after King Louis XIV’s chief stewart, Louis de Béchamel.
However, for those of us following a gluten-free diet, béchamel sauce presents a problem—apart from milk, its other main ingredient is gluten-containing wheat flour. Luckily, there are some fabulous gluten-free alternatives you can try out. One of them is potato flour, and it’s the secret ingredient behind this amazing recipe for a gluten-free béchamel sauce.
Once you have your potato flour in hand, it’s time to start brewing this creamy, white masterpiece. Milk and butter are the usual suspects in classic béchamel sauces, and this gluten-free variety is no exception. Combine it with a hefty bit of salt and nutmeg for that zesty flavor and you’re good to go!
Now comes the fun part—pouring your fresh gluten-free béchamel sauce over a dish in desperate need of some creamy goodness. Whether this be a macaroni and cheese, oven-roasted vegetables, or even a savoury pie, béchamel is bound to take your sauceless dishes to the next level.
