Condiments
725 recipes found
Tamarind Paste
Preparing tamarind paste is quite simple, and homemade paste has the added advantage of keeping for several months in the refrigerator, the result of its high acid content. Tamarind fruit comes in two forms: as blocks of fruit pulp or as whole fruit pods. If working with tamarind fruit pods, make sure they’re unripe, which ensures a stronger degree of sourness and less sweetness. And don’t forget to remove and discard the outer shell to use the pulp. Blocks of tamarind can be obtained from Indian and Asian grocery stores or online.
Creamy Blue Cheese Dip With Walnuts
Blue cheese can be a polarizing ingredient, but the sweetness of toasted walnuts rounds out the sharpness of the cheese in this creamy dip. If serving this dip to friends, surround it with large pieces of cabbage, sliced celery sticks and a sleeve of saltine crackers — and make extra, because it can disappear quickly. But it’s built for more than entertaining guests: Slather it on a potato bun in a chicken cutlet sandwich, or use it to dress up a BLT.
Tongbaechu Kimchi (Whole Napa Cabbage Kimchi)
This tongbaechu kimchi, made with whole napa cabbage, is a wonderful way to witness firsthand the magic of preservation by salting. Though the first step — salting quartered cabbages to drain excess liquid — may require an afternoon, that time is entirely inactive. The bundles of sauced cabbage are jarred and left at room temperature for the first couple of days to jump-start the fermentation process, then refrigerated to continue souring slowly for weeks and even months. Fermenting bundled quarters — versus chopped pieces — results in a crisper, more flavorful cabbage kimchi. This recipe is pared down to its essentials, though you could supplement the funky, savory-sweet flavors here with traditional additions like a sprinkle of raw pine nuts, a palmful of Korean radish cut in matchsticks or a spoonful of saeujeot, salted fermented shrimp.
Salsa Macha
Salsa macha is a rich chile oil from Veracruz, Mexico, made from variations of dried chiles, garlic, nuts and seeds fried in oil and finely chopped. As a condiment it’s easy to make, and stores well. It’s also incredibly versatile, adding texture and depth to everything it touches, from tacos and fried potatoes to poached eggs or a simple bowl of noodles with herbs. Once you’ve made it once, feel free to adjust the ingredients to suit your taste, playing with the chile varieties, or swapping in different seeds or nuts.
Quick Pickled Amba
Adeena Sussman developed this brilliant recipe for amba, the habit-forming, hot and sour salt-cured mango pickle that usually takes several days to prepare. Ms. Sussman, a cookbook author who lives in Tel Aviv, completes the process in just 40 minutes, and adds an unusual ingredient that mimics the flavors of a longer fermentation: fish sauce. Make the quick pickle in the dead of winter with green, unripe mangoes, then use it to brighten up anything from a simple piece of sautéed fish to a bowl of rice and vegetables.
Cracked Green Olive, Walnut and Pomegranate Relish
This classic recipe from Paula Wolfert, who picked it up from her friend, the Turkish food journalist Ayfer Unsal, is a versatile relish that can be spooned alongside pork skewers, simply cooked fish or sliced steak. Each ingredient is important to the final relish. Leave one out and it will seem out of balance. A note: Rinse the olives with cool water before you use them, then taste one. If they seem too salty, soak them in lukewarm water for 30 minutes. Drain and rinse again.
Dukkah
Kachumbari (Tomato and Onion Relish)
In his book, “Koshersoul,” the food historian Michael W. Twitty explores the varied cuisines of the global Jewish diaspora. Kachumbari, the Swahili word that means “pickle,” can be traced to Kenya and other East African countries where the tomato and onion mix is served as a salad or relish. This dish exemplifies a tradition of hospitality: Appetizers or snacks — salatim in Israel, kemia in North Africa and mezze in the Middle East — are offered to house guests. After tasting the small plates, the visitors then decide if they would like to stay and enjoy the main meal. This deeply flavored kachumbari can be served with nearly any fish or other protein-based dish, and can also be offered alongside plantains, or with hummus and pita.
Basbaas Cagaar (Green Hot Sauce)
While Somali cuisine utilizes many fragrant spices, such as coriander, cardamom and cumin, it is not traditionally heat-heavy. But spiciness shows up in the form of basbaas, a hot sauce that is a popular condiment. Heat is optional in Somali cuisine and dishes like sambuus or bariis and hilib ari (rice and goat meat) come with a complementary side of basbaas for those who seek to take their meal to the next level. While there are several kinds of basbaas, basbaas cagaar is a fiery, green hot sauce that pairs beautifully with any meats or roasted vegetables, and especially with hilib sambuus.
Herbed Yogurt
This simple sauce comes together quickly to provide a welcome creaminess and tang to Chapli burgers, kebabs, stewed chickpeas and fried potatoes alike.
Fried Sage Salsa Verde
A quick pass through hot oil transforms sage leaves. No longer leathery, they’re perfectly aromatic, ready to crumble into a simple combination of parsley, oil, shallots and vinegar. This fried sage salsa verde, which is adapted from "Salt Acid Fat Heat" (Simon & Schuster, 2017), can be drizzled over turkey, roasted vegetables, stuffing, casseroles or anything else that needs a little perking up.
Salsa Criolla
This popular Peruvian condiment requires only five ingredients, but it’s bursting with flavor. Slivered onions and fresh peppers are marinated in lime juice to create a tangy and spicy relish. Traditionally, the salsa is made with fresh aji amarillo chiles, which can be difficult to find; luckily, a combination of orange bell pepper and serrano chiles deliver similar flavor, color and heat. (For a milder salsa, remove the seeds from the serrano before using.) Most often served with arroz con pollo, this bright relish is also a perfect accompaniment to roasted chicken, and makes a great topping on tacos and sandwiches. The salsa can be refrigerated for three days.
Instant Pickled Carrot With Ginger
Pickle culture in India is as vast and diverse as its people, which is why Usha Prabakaran collected 1,000 recipes for her cult classic cookbook, “Usha’s Pickle Digest.” Her recipe for an instant carrot pickle, made with ginger and chile, is a simple one to master. It comes together quickly, and lasts for a couple of weeks in the refrigerator. Have it with rice and yogurt, or even in a sandwich with melted cheese.
Mint Chutney
In Desi cooking, mint chutney enlivens eggs, kormas, biriyanis, sandwiches and many other dishes, adding a sour, spicy and fresh cooling sweetness. Where it really sings, though, is as an accompaniment to samosas and chaats. Use Greek yogurt if you want a creamy chutney. Depending on preference, you can skip the raw garlic.
Ponzu
Veal Glaze
Peach Honey
Spiced Cranberry-Orange Relish
Prepared Horseradish
Homemade prepared horseradish tastes fresher than store-bought varieties and is a surprisingly versatile condiment that will keep, refrigerated, for about three months. Start with fresh horseradish, which should be chilled to preserve its punch, and a box grater, a hand grinder or a food processor. Horseradish is potent, so make sure to keep the windows open or wear glasses to protect yourself from the fumes when handling the raw ingredient. Whisked into vinaigrettes, drizzled over poached fish or stirred into mayonnaise for a brighter egg salad sandwich, a spoonful of prepared horseradish wakes up whatever you're cooking.
Apple Compote
This vanilla apple compote is the perfect accompaniment to French potato pancakes.
Classic Cocktail Sauce
A combination of pungent horseradish and sweet ketchup make up the foundation of this classic cocktail sauce, which is seasoned with lemon juice, hot sauce and a dash of Worcestershire. Drizzle it on a shrimp cocktail or dab it sparingly on raw seafood. A little of this assertive mixture goes a long way.
Aioli (Garlic Mayonnaise)
The renowned chef Alice Waters makes her aioli in the most inefficient and old-fashioned way possible: using a mortar and pestle to mash the garlic, a fork to whip up the emulsion and no lemon juice, vinegar or any other acid at all. It was the best mayonnaise I've ever tasted, but then again, she did use a wonderfully perfumed olive oil. For this recipe, you should do the same.
Pico De Gallo
The strong flavors of scallions, cilantro and jalapeño complement the sweet juiciness of summer tomatoes in this traditional salsa. It makes the perfect accompaniment to grilled steak or tortilla chips.
Grapefruit Vinaigrette With Greens or Broccoli
I came across a grapefruit vinaigrette, served with stuffed beet greens, in Anya von Bremzen’s "The New Spanish Table" and have adapted it. I loved the idea of this vinaigrette as an accompaniment to greens, such as chard or beet greens, but my favorite is broccoli.