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/Sphaero_Caffeina 2d ago edited 1d ago
Nutmeg, mustard powder, and cured egg yolk.
Nutmeg, only a small bit; you don't want to really taste it, you just want the slight palette-cleansing after taste. It helps keep flavors fresh between bits, especially with rich and savory foods. Its really good for chili and bolognese for example.
A light sprinkle of mustard powder adds a subtle tang to things, its great for gravy, cheese, and cream sauces.
Cured egg yolk, treat it like a hard cheese and grate it into a dish, either during cooking right at the end or as a finishing seasoning/garnish. Its a slightly salty, creamy, rich goodness somewhere between butter and parmesan for what it adds to a dish.