Posts Tagged ‘Sauces’

With Easter fast approaching you might be planning a big family meal this Sunday. What better way to impress your guests than with a gravy to beat all others! Deglazing your roasting dish will make a wonderful gravy, full of all those beautiful lamb flavours. Read our easy guide to find out how…

How to Deglaze a Pan

1. Skim off any excess fat.
2. Dilute the caramelised juices with wine or double cream.
3. Reduce the liquid by simmering.
4. Add stock and continue reducing the liquid until the sauce has reached your desired consistency. Season to taste.

Recipe: Redcurrant and Roast Onion Gravy

This is perfect with your spring lamb!

6 sprigs of thyme, cut into pieces
3 red onions, halved
Zest of half a lemon
1 garlic bulb, halved
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp redcurrant jelly
175ml/6fl oz Sweet Wine
350ml/12fl oz Lamb Stock or Water
Lamb Joint

First, roast the lamb with thyme sprigs, onions, half a lemon zest and halved garlic.

Once the lamb is cooked, pour away any excess fat from the roasting tray, then place the tray on the hob over a high heat. Stir in the redcurrant jelly or any flavouring you desire with the roasted onions and garlic until melted. Then add the sweet wine and boil for half a minute. Add the stock or water and simmer for a couple of minutes until thickened. Season with salt and pepper and strain through a sieve. And there you have the perfect gravy!

A few tips for great gravy:

• If you add too much salt, add some raw potato slices and cook until translucent. Remove before serving, the potato should have absorbed the extra salt.

• If you like your gravy extra thick, add a little cream and let it cook down a bit to thicken. Alternatively, mix a teaspoon of cornflour with a little cold water and stir until dissolved. Whisk into the gravy and cook to remove the cornflour flavour.

• Lumps? What lumps! Beat with a wire whisk or if all else fails, get out the sieve!

• Instead of wine or sherry, use brandy or port to deglaze.

• Finally, the better the meat, the better the gravy! Try some quality lamb from our expert butcher Moen and Sons!

Ever found yourself in a fluster at the mention of a Roux? Do you quiver at the thought of making your own mayonnaise, or call the window cleaner when a recipe calls for “deglazing”?

Sauce-making can be a minefield of technical terms and complicated processes. But never fear, Natoora is here to explain all! It’s so rewarding to tuck into a delicious home-made sauce, and with the help of some good instructions it can be stressfree and enjoyable!

We know it can be a bit daunting so this week we’ll start with an easy but a goody…Vinaigrette. Now that spring’s on its way it’s the perfect time to whisk up a beautiful salad dressing. Here are the basics, but don’t be afraid to experiment with different flavours!

Basic Vinaigrette

A Vinaigrette is a dressing made from a mix of vinegar, oil, pepper and salt. It is of course best known for dressing salads, but you can also pour over cold meats, roasted potatoes and fish.

1. Dissolve a pinch of salt in 1 tbsp of vinegar (salt does not dissolve in oil!).
2. Add 3 tbsp of oil and some pepper.
3.Then add other flavourings if any (we love it with mustard…).
4. Beat well with a fork until emulsified, or place in a screw-top jar and shake.

Mix and Match

Try different types of vinegar.

Instead of vinegar, replace with lemon juice or other citrus. Use half lemon juice, half oil.

The oil can be replaced with crème fraîche.

Instead of mustard try shallot, capers, garlic, boiled eggs, basil, anchovies, whatever you fancy…!

If you’re in need of inspiration, visit www.natoora.co.uk for some ideas! We’d love to see your creations so send us any pictures to food@natoora.co.uk. Happy whisking!