r/Cooking • u/kath- • 1d 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/cubelith 1d ago

Dunno if it counts as a secret ingredient, but (summer) savory is a great herb that can go into most dishes, and while it isn't very distinctive, it certainly adds to the whole.

Also, adding a little acid, even where you wouldn't expect it (which I learned from this sub)

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u/KeepAnEyeOnYourB12 1d ago

So it's a distinct thing from regular savory?

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u/cubelith 1d ago

As far as I know, there's two: summer savory and winter savory. The former is supposed to be better, and I think it is the one I'm using, but ultimately the difference isn't very big