by Amber Rose
When the sauce is ready, remove it from the heat and transfer to the jars. Secure the lids, then turn the jars upside down to seal. Allow them to cool in this position, then transfer to the fridge where they will keep very happily for at least a few weeks.
Horseradish sauce – 2 ways.
SERVES 4–6
Like most things, homemade horseradish sauce is far nicer than bought versions. Using crème fraîche gives it a superior texture as well as a richness that shop-bought ones lack. The lemon juice sharpens the flavour and stops the grated horseradish from discolouring. What’s more, it’s SO easy and keeps in the fridge for at least 4–5 days. I like to serve this sauce both plain and the pimped-up version with hot rare roast beef, on cold roast beef sandwiches and with a beetroot salad.
Unfortunately, fresh horseradish is only available for a short period each year, so grab it while you can! When making this sauce, use a spatula and fold the ingredients together lightly rather than beating or mixing. Treat the crème fraîche gently and it will be kind back to you.
BASIC HORSERADISH SAUCE
250ml crème fraîche
1 heaped teaspoon Dijon mustard
A squeeze of lemon
5–6cm piece of horseradish, freshly peeled and grated (you can use more or less, depending on how strong you like it. I like mine to pack a punch)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Gently fold the ingredients together in a bowl. If you beat or mix the crème fraîche it will collapse and you’ll end up with a runny sauce rather than a thick one. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Keep chilled until ready to use. This will keep in the fridge for several days.
Rocket horseradish sauce (the pimped-up version).
As above but fold through a handful or two of very finely chopped rocket. Leave to sit in the fridge for 30 minutes before using.
A rosie-hued festive apple and cranberry sauce.
SERVES 8–10
This sauce sits somewhere between an apple sauce and cranberry sauce, so it’s more versatile than a straight-up cranberry sauce, and suitable for lots of dishes throughout the autumn and winter. It goes beautifully with any roast bird and sits alongside all the winter veg in perfect matrimony.
350g cranberries (frozen work well and there is no prepping to do)
2 sweet-tart apples, such as Granny Smith or Bramley, cored and chopped into 1cm chunks
Zest and juice of 2 clementines
5 tablespoons light clear honey
1 tablespoon peeled and finely grated ginger
A pinch of ground cloves
Put all the ingredients into a medium saucepan along with 110ml of water. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 10–15 minutes.
Remove from the heat and allow to cool a little before serving or transfer to a glass jar with a lid. This sauce will keep in the fridge for one week.
A classic applesauce for any occasion.
SERVES 4–6
This apple sauce is an essential accompaniment to roast pork or pork chops. You could sweeten it further and add a dollop to your porridge or granola during the colder months when apples are in abundance. However you serve it, hot or cold, it’s delicious. You can use different varieties of apples to vary the flavour – heritage apples from farmers’ markets lend themselves to this beautifully.
250g cooking apples, such as Bramley, or Granny Smith, peeled, cored and chopped
Zest of ½ lemon
20g butter
1 tablespoon light honey, maple syrup, coconut sugar or rapadura (or more or less to taste)
Put the apples into a saucepan with the lemon zest and 2 tablespoons of water. Cover and cook over a low heat for about 10 minutes, or until the apples are soft and mushy and completely broken down. Depending on the type of apples you have used, you many need to mash them with a fork to help them along. The sugars in the apples can easily catch and burn, so keep a close eye on them.
Once soft, remove from the heat and beat in the butter and sweetener. Serve at once or transfer to a glass jar with a lid, allow to cool and pop in the fridge. It will keep for about one week.
If you use eating apples, you won’t need as much sweetener, so make sure you taste the sauce before adding your chosen sweetener.
Chimichurri green sauce.
SERVES 4–6
Chimichurri is an Argentinian green sauce that is traditionally used on grilled and barbecued meats and vegetables. It’s seriously good and takes only a few minutes to make. You can chill it in the fridge to create a kind of flavoured oil or just use it straight away as a topping for steaks and other grilled delights. If you like your steak Gaucho-style, this magic little green sauce is just for you.
There are as many variations of this sauce as there are grandmothers in Argentina, but they usually centre around the same base components. If you like your chimichurri spicier, up the chilli. You can use fresh thyme leaves if you don’t have oregano.
2 small bunches of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped (but not too fine)
1 teaspoon oregano, fresh is best, finely chopped but not too fine
4 fat garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 shallots, finely chopped
1 teaspoon chilli flakes
7 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
The best way to make this heavenly green sauce is by chopping the herbs quite finely with a very sharp knife – this way the leaves are not bruised. Transfer the herbs, garlic and shallots to a small bowl and stir in the rest of the ingredients. Taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary. Eat within a few days.
Alternatively, if you are pushed for time or don’t have a really good sharp knife, you can put everything into a food processor and blitz until you have a chunky sauce – not too fine but not too rough; somewhere in the middle is perfect. Spoon into a bowl and chill until ready to use.
Greener than green mint sauce (Grandma’s special recipe).
SERVES 4–6
This is my Grandma Maida’s special recipe; she served up the best mint sauce I know and just thinking about it I can recall the piquant tang and delightful sweetness of her sauce right now. Admittedly, I have swapped out the more traditional form of sweetener (white sugar) for a less refined one. Coconut sugar has a much lower level of fructose and doesn’t cause the same spike in blood-sugar levels. I’m sure you’ll love this stuff as much as I do. Next time you roast a leg of spring lamb, don’t forget this great sauce on the side.
A medium bunch of mint
A pinch of sea salt
1 rounded tablespoon coconut sugar or rapadura
5 tablespoons boiling water
5 tablespoons raw cider vinegar
Wash the mint thoroughly under running water, then drain and spin in a salad spinner to remove excess moisture. Strip the mint leaves off their stalks (discard the stalks or make tea from them to sip while you make your sauce!).
Sprinkle the leaves with a pinch of salt, then finely chop them. Put them in a jug, add the coconut sugar and pour over the boiling water, stir and leave to cool. Stir in the vinegar and adjust the seasoning to your taste.
Serve with roasted, grilled or barbecued lamb.
A creamy cheese sauce (and a cauliflower cheese).
MAKES 800ML
This is my go-to cheese sauce for making cauliflower cheese or indeed a lovely smoked fish pie. It’s rich, creamy and decadent but with a little kick from the nutmeg and cayenne, both welcome additions. You could use the sauce as a rather luxurious warm dip for steamed veg or for lasagne, using thick courgette ribbons instead of pasta for a gluten-free supper dish.
30g unsalted butter
30g white spelt flour
650ml whole milk
A good pinch of sea salt
A good pinch of ground white pepper
A pinch of cayenne pepper
A pinch of gr
ated nutmeg
90g cheese, grated (Cheddar, Gouda or Gruyère)
*If making a fish pie, add 2–3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley, 1–2 teaspoons Dijon mustard and a good squeeze of lemon juice
Melt the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat. Stir in the flour and cook for 2–3 minutes, mixing well with a spoon or whisk. Remove from the heat and gradually add the milk, whisking between additions to get rid of lumps, to make a smooth sauce.
Return to the heat and bring to the boil, stirring. Simmer gently for 8–10 minutes. Stir in the salt, white pepper, nutmeg and cayenne. If the sauce is destined for a fish pie, add the parsley, mustard and lemon juice. Sprinkle in the cheese and allow it to melt – don’t reboil or the cheese will become stringy. It is now ready to use.
To make cauliflower cheese, simply steam the florets of a cauliflower for 5 minutes until tender but not too soft. Transfer to a medium baking dish, pour over the cheese sauce and sprinkle with a little extra cayenne or sourdough breadcrumbs, then roast at 180°C/160°C fan/gas mark 4 for 15–20 minutes until golden. Flash under the grill at the end if needed, to get that golden bubbling deliciousness. Serves 6.
My favourite tomato sauce for pasta, courgetti and beans.
SERVES 3–4
This is my alternative to tomato sauce that has been made from a can. I am not a fan of the way sauce made with canned tomatoes turns out, although they can be handy when you are in a pinch. If I have fresh tomatoes to hand, though, I much prefer this lighter, fresher version.
I use a variety of red, orange and yellow tomatoes mixed in with the classic red cherry ones. Apart from their visual impact, yellow and orange tomatoes contain increased amounts of lycopene, the colouring pigment in tomatoes that is known to have important anti-cancer properties.
300g cherry tomatoes, or a mix of red, orange and yellow cherry and plum tomatoes
4–6 garlic cloves, peeled and lightly bashed
A few basil leaves, plus extra for serving
100ml olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Simply put everything in a smallish saucepan over a medium–high heat and cover with a lid. When it’s really bubbling, turn the heat down to medium. Keep the lid on and simmer quite vigorously for about 20 minutes. The tomatoes will break down and release all their juices and everything will be quite well incorporated.
I like this sauce quite chunky, but you can mash the tomatoes with a fork to break it down further if you like.
For a warming, filling meal, spoon over your favourite pasta, spiralised courgettes or even cooked borlotti beans and sprinkle with shaved Parmesan and plenty of torn basil leaves.
Try adding a pinch of chilli flakes or replacing the basil with rosemary (especially if you are planning to serve it with slow-cooked borlotti beans).
Probiotic tomato ketchup.
MAKES 1 LITRE
This stuff is amazing: piquant, tangy, sweet and moreish all at once. I make this for my son because he loves to smother his homemade chips in sauce and indeed many other things too. I don’t have to worry that he’s piling on too much because I know it’s super-healthy: it’s packed full of immune-boosting probiotics that support gut health, digestion, brain function and much more. As the sauce ferments, the bacteria eat the sugars it contains, so by the time it’s ready for your plate it’s practically sugar free – another bonus. The longer the ketchup ferments, the more sour it becomes. After it’s been in the fridge for over a month the flavour can be really tangy – almost fizzy – which I like, but for serving it to the kids you can just add a little more sweetener and it’s good to go.
EQUIPMENT
1 sterilised litre glass jar with a lid (see here; I buy a litre glass jar of passata and then use that jar)
A funnel
2 tablespoons ghee or butter
2 medium onions, roughly chopped
2 shallots, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
2 bay leaves
7 tablespoons cider vinegar
800g passata
7 tablespoons maple syrup or light clear honey
½ teaspoon ground cumin A pinch of cayenne pepper Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
FOR THE FERMENT STARTER
2 tablespoons of sauerkraut juice or fermented pickle juice from any of the wild fermented pickles recipes (see here), or whey from either dairy yogurt or milk kefir
Put a medium saucepan or high-sided frying pan with a lid over a medium heat and add the ghee. Then add the onions, shallots, garlic and bay leaves and give them a good stir. When they are sizzling, reduce the heat and allow everything to caramelise for 10 minutes, or until softened and turned a lovely golden colour.
Turn up the heat and pour in the vinegar, allowing it to evaporate a little. Add the rest of the ingredients and then reduce the heat again so that it’s at a very gentle simmer. Simmer gently for 40 minutes or until you have a thick ketchup consistency.
Remove from the heat and discard the bay leaves. Blitz the mixture with a stick blender until you have a smooth consistency. Set aside and allow to cool completely.
When the mixture is ready, add 1 tablespoon of your ferment starter to it then, using a funnel, transfer the mixture to your glass jar. Gently pour the second tablespoon of ferment on top of the ketchup so that it seals the ketchup from the air. Fix a round piece of greaseproof paper over the top of the mouth of the jar, and secure with a rubber band. This will stop critters from flying or crawling into the sauce while it ferments.
Sit the ferment somewhere on your worktop and allow it to ferment for up to five days.
Remove the paper and replace with the lid to the jar and refrigerate. The sauce will continue to ferment but the rate will be slowed by the cooler temperatures in the fridge. It will last for several months and become more sour as the weeks go by. If it gets too sour for your liking, add another spoon of maple syrup to balance it out.
Oli’s favourite teriyaki sauce.
SERVES 2–3
Teriyaki sauce is another one that is really easy to make yourself and it’s a firm favourite with the children, as my son Oli will testify. The Japanese use teriyaki to glaze or baste dishes, which gives a distinctive sheen as well as flavour. It’s wonderful with a piece of grilled salmon or chicken, or you can pour it over pan-fried tempeh (healthier than tofu). Serve alongside some cooked quinoa and some steamed greens.
The important thing here is to source really good-quality tamari and mirin. Most of the commercially available soy sauces and mirin in the supermarkets are full of GM soy products, high-fructose corn syrup, flavourings and preservatives. Traditionally brewed varieties have amazing flavour and health benefits without all the nasty stuff.
4–5 tablespoons tamari or shoyu (traditionally brewed Japanese dark soy sauce)
4–5 tablespoons mirin (a form of rice wine – Clearspring does a great version)
Zest and juice of 1 lime
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 fat garlic clove, finely sliced
A chunk of ginger, peeled and finely sliced
Put everything in a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Turn down the heat and simmer until the sauce reduces and has become a bit sticky. Scoop out the garlic and ginger pieces. Taste for seasoning, adjusting if necessary – it may need a little more lime or maple syrup. Pour over a juicy, perfectly cooked steak or a piece of grilled or pan-fried salmon, veggies or tempeh. Serve with your favourite greens and some quinoa.
Sweet chilli sauce.
MAKES 1 450G JAR
Most shop-bought sweet chilli sauce is full of sugar, whereas this recipe, using honey, is healthier while still giving you all the flavour and kick of the bottled version. Unsurprisingly, it is great with rice, noodles, spring rolls, rice paper rolls, tempura and other wonderful Asian-inspired dishes, but it also goes well with some cheeses and roast winter veg.
EQUIPMENT
Sterilised glass jar with an airtight lid<
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10 long red chillies
4 garlic cloves, crushed
25g ginger, peeled and finely grated
185ml apple cider vinegar
220ml light clear honey
A good pinch of sea salt
Halve the chillies lengthways, remove the seeds and discard (you can add them if you wish but the sauce will be even hotter). Thinly slice the chillies on the diagonal or finely chop them.
Put all the ingredients in a medium saucepan over a low heat. Simmer gently, stirring until well combined. Then allow to simmer for a further 10–15 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened and is slightly syrupy.
Transfer to the jar and allow to cool before popping it into the fridge. The sauce will keep for well over one month.
Salsa and Chutneys.
Pesto a few ways.
SERVES 4–6
I love homemade pesto as a dip, as a sauce for roast veg, as a dressing, in sandwiches, salads, on top of hearty winter stews, tossed through courgette ribbons, or on rye toast with a delicious soft cheese and a tangle of rocket. The pine nuts and olive oil are ‘good fats’ that nourish the brain, and the garlic and herbs aid digestion and are a source of micronutrients – those vitamins and minerals that are essential for our bodies to produce enzymes and hormones that promote growth and development. So get creative and add it to your savoury dishes to bring them to life.
ClASSIC PeSTO
1 garlic clove, chopped
3 handfuls of freshly washed basil leaves, picked and chopped
A handful of pine nuts, lightly toasted
50g Parmesan (or a mature Pecorino), finely grated
150ml extra virgin olive oil
A squeeze of lemon
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Put the garlic, basil, pine nuts, Parmesan and olive oil into a blender and blitz into a rough sauce. Add a squeeze of lemon, then season to taste. This will keep, covered, in the fridge for up to one week.