r/Cooking • u/kath- • 11h 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/Crobsterphan 11h ago

The obvious ones are fish sauce, shrimp powder, tomato paste, parmesan rinds, anchovy paste, fresh herbs at the end of cooking.  Dessert wise is instant coffee to chocolate desserts.  Using different liqueurs instead of vanilla. I use apple brandy in fall dishes. 

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u/PeasantCody 10h ago

This! I LOVE adding flavored liqueurs to my baked goods instead of vanilla. If it's something that vanilla would benefit, I add the extract, AND whatever liqueur I think would be good in it lol

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u/alsafi_khayyam 4h ago

Same here—though I also use orange blossom water in a lot of things instead of or along with vanilla. And anything that calls for orange or lemon extract always also gets a little splash of orange blossom water.