The Ingredients I Never Thought To Try
Sometimes even the ingredients we're most familiar with can be used in surprising, new ways. Here are some secret ingredients to elevate any dish.
Tarragon
Tarragon is such a flavourful ingredient in both its spice and plant form. They're a great way to enhance any potato dish, but especially fries. A little bit goes a long way and its delightful aroma will make your fries that much tastier.
Instant Mashed Potatoes
If you've never found the need to purchase instant mashed potatoes, think again. If you love cooking soup, it's an excellent substitute for thickeners like a roux or cream.
Pickle Juice
Pickle juice is an excellent substitute for vinegar. In particular, it's a game-changer for salads like tuna salad, egg salad, macaroni salad, or potato salad.
Not bad in a martini either.
Sugar
Everyone has sugar in their pantry, but some people don't realize that this ingredient can be used in savory dishes. Just a little bit of sugar can do wonders when it comes to balancing salt and acid. It's particularly effective when added to sauces.
Shallots
Call me crazy, but I prefer using shallots over onions. Shallots aren't as strong as onions and are a bit sweeter. They're also much smaller, which means that I usually use an entire shallot for a dish's aromatics or a salad dressing.
I use them wherever I can, preventing me from having to pack up a half-used onion, which is destined to be forgotten at the back of my fridge.
Cardamom
If you have a sweet recipe that calls for cinnamon and nutmeg, feel free to go a step further and add cardamom. This is a trio of spices made in heaven—and the cardamom will be that little "extra something."
Shaoxing Wine
Shaoxing wine is used so much in Chinese cooking. This rice wine can help make your homecooked meals taste like they were ordered from an authentic Chinese restaurant. Use it in sauces, broths, marinades, pot roasts, and stir-fries.
Anchovy Paste
Anchovy paste can be used in so many ways. Squeeze it into marinades and stews. It's also the perfect way to make a rich salad dressing. It's also so easy to make at home if you own a food processor. Simply blend together anchovies, sea salt, and olive oil.
Cayenne Pepper
Some say that adding cayenne pepper to a banana bread recipe can enhance its flavor. Only add a very small amount. Don't worry, it won't make the banana bread "spicy," just better.
Ashoka Jegroo, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Salt Alternatives
Turns out, you don't have to season everything with salt. Depending on what you're cooking, there may even be better alternatives. Consider using miso paste, Parmesan rinds, chicken bouillon powder, or soy sauce.
Cinnamon
Cinnamon is used in many savory dishes the world over. However, if you're new to cooking with this ingredient, know that it works well in tomato-based recipes.
Stock Concentrates
Have you ever tried using stock concentrates for more than just... stock? Putting a small amount of stock concentrate—such as Better Than Bouillon—on top of your rice pilaf as it cooks can make for a more flavorful side dish.
Billy F Blume Jr, Shutterstock
Mustard
Mustard is a great way to elevate your sauces and salad dressings, especially Dijon.
MSG
MSG is a flavor enhancer that can imbue meal with a scrumptious umami flavor. It's an excellent salt substitute and works best in seasoning blends and savory dishes—and no, it doesn't give you headaches.
Salt In Baked Goods
Arguably, it's no secret that sweet and salty flavors go well together. That's why using salt in baking recipes is so common. In fact, one might argue that a chocolate chip cookie recipe isn't complete without the addition of salt.
Andrey Zhernovoy, Shutterstock
Ground Sumac
Try adding your ground sumac to your dishes last instead of adding it at the beginning. Sprinkle it on a salad, or even put it on your pita with a side of hummus.
Mushroom Powder
Mushroom powder is more powerful than you think and can be used to elevate a dish's umami flavor—especially soup bases. It's also pretty easy to make at home.
You can purchase dried shiitakes and grind them down to a powder if you have a blender. Simply store it in some airtight jars and keep it in your pantry, so that you always have this magical powder on hand.
Masa Harina
Masa Harina is dried corn dough, and can be used to elevate your chili. Once you start adding this ingredient, there's no going back. Not only does it thicken the chili, but it also adds a delightful taste of corn.
Coffee
Coffee might just be the secret ingredient in your next batch of brownies. And not coffee beans or coffee grounds. We're talking about black coffee. Simply swap out the water for coffee and get ready for a flavor bomb you never saw coming.
Butter
If your vegetables aren't tasting like the ones you ordered at the restaurant, there's a good chance you're not using enough butter. And yes, you probably need to use a lot more than you think you need.
Nutmeg
If you love a decadent white sauce, nutmeg is the secret ingredient destined to take it to the next level. Might sound weird, but once you start using nutmeg, your mac 'n' cheese will never be the same again.
Peter Hermes Furian, Shutterstock
Peanut Butter
If you use just the right amount of peanut butter in your savory sauces, it can help thicken them and lends a subtle nutty flavor.
Bay Leaves
You can't really go wrong with adding a bay leaf to your dishes. It can add flavor to a wide range of dishes from soup to spaghetti sauce to rice.
Fish Sauce
Many people assume that fish sauce might be too "fishy" for them to cook with. However, though it has a pungent flavor, it's the ideal seasoning ingredient. Honestly, the possibilities are endless.
Try it in soups, stir-fries, vinaigrettes, pasta sauces, and so much more.
Pomegranate Molasses
If you've never heard of pomegranate molasses, you might want to give this secret ingredient a shot. It does wonders for salad vinaigrettes and marinades.
Mascarpone Cheese
It might sound weird to be adding mascarpone cheese to a brothy soup, but it creates a smooth delicious texture, thickening it just enough.
Brown Butter
Brown butter in desserts tastes so much better than regular butter. There, I said it. It brings an extra nutty and toasty flavor to the baked goods every time.
Vinegar-Based Hot Sauces
Vinegar-based hot sauces, such as Frank's, can taste so good on cheesy dishes like mac 'n' cheese. It just balances out the rich nature of the dish so well.
Ground Allspice
Though allspice can be used in sweet dishes like cookies or pumpkin pie, it also tastes phenomenal in savory dishes. If you're using black pepper in a dish, adding allspice is probably a good bet. It's especially great for glazing ham or seasoning sausages, and for flavoring other meats and stews.
Cornstarch
Cornstarch will elevate the texture of your food, but not the flavor. It can help make your meats crispy, your desserts soft, and your sauces thick (no need to make a roux).
