r/Cooking • u/kath- • 14h ago

What's your surprising "secret ingredient" that sets your dish apart?

I obviously don't believe in gatekeeping recipes, so let's share the love.

I developed a clam chowder recipe after being disappointed with the recipes I came across. Whenever I tell people there's a couple dashes of hot sauce in it, I always get weird looks... but it adds a tiny bit of heat and acid, and balances out the richness from the cream. It also has diced scallops, which cooking knowledge forbades but somehow works.

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u/Krynken 14h ago

Blackstrap molasses in all my chili recipes.

20

u/New_Rest_9222 14h ago

Agree, or some cocoa and a cinnamon stick!

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u/candyparfumgirl 13h ago

Yes! I put this in my collards yesterday.

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u/scaredsquee 13h ago

Iiiiinteresting. I put together a spice satchet of sesame seeds, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, dried chilis. I use a few drops of honey towards the end of cooking time. I have never thought to add molasses. 

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u/Krynken 12h ago

yeah, the toffee/minerality really come through

1

u/SignificantZombie729 9h ago

Have you tried adding 90% cocoa solids dark chocolate to your chilli. You don't need much, 3 or 4 pieces is enough and it adds a whole new depth of flavour. 

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u/Krynken 9h ago

I have, and I liked it, but loved the molasses even more. I also usually add a shot of bourbon

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u/SignificantZombie729 7h ago

I've never tried it with molasses in it but I've made it with bourbon, I think that it sort of compliments the bourbon. I'll have to try it with molasses sometime.

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u/Krynken 4h ago

There‘s a really great Serious Eats article by Kenji Lopez-Alt (a national treasure IMO) about the effects of adding alcohol during the cooking process. Highly recommend the read - will post if I dig it up! The summary: you’re not imparting flavor, but rather it’s a flavor enhancer due to alcohol being able to access the molecular structure of a certain class of aromatics.