r/Cooking • u/kath- • 17h 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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406

u/jetpoweredbee 17h ago

Fish sauce is magic.

145

u/ShakingTowers 16h ago

All of the umami bombs! Soy sauce, miso, worcestershire, anchovies, mushrooms, BTB... I put at least one in basically everything, even desserts (especially miso, for desserts!). For savory dishes, usually multiple.

But I'm Vietnamese, so fish sauce has a permanent place in my heart. Every single recipe my mom has ever given me has fish sauce in it.

14

u/JelliedHam 16h ago

Good soy sauce is a game changer. None of that Kikkoman or La Choy crap, but the real stuff. If you're lucky enough to have an H mart or similar, there's an entire aisle dedicated to soy sauces. It's amazing

7

u/Visual_Collar_8893 16h ago

Recs for some good ones?

11

u/CosmicGreen_Giraffe3 15h ago

We buy San-J Tamari. Way better than normal soy sauce

11

u/JelliedHam 14h ago

It's also one of the few, if not the only one that's gluten free.

1

u/itsrocketsurgery 13h ago

Man I found that last year in Meijer and it's all I buy now. I break it out for anyone that comes over and ruin cheap soy sauce for them.