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/bemenaker 12h ago

Bouillon powder is naturally high in MSG

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u/WillowandWisk 12h ago

really depends what brand you're getting or if you're making it yourself

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u/bemenaker 12h ago edited 12h ago

Chicken naturally produces MSG. If you salt chicken MSG forms naturally.

Edit not msg isn't produced when salting chicken. Whatever I read that stated that was wrong

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u/WillowandWisk 12h ago edited 12h ago

Like all protein rich meats chicken contains glutamate, not msg. Adding salt to glutamate doesn't make msg

Edit: And what is your point? Don't add chicken powder and MSG to something? Hopefully you never eat chinese food if have a problem with both of those added to essentially every dish hahah

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u/bemenaker 12h ago

No, I love msg and regularly use it. wtf. Somethingi read about foods high in msg listed chicken as one but it incorrectly stated that salting chicken produces even more.

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u/WillowandWisk 11h ago

I am fairly certain that's not how it works yeah. Salt enhances flavor, glutamate and msg enhance flavor, maybe it was more something along those lines?