The most delicious sauce: recipes with photos, cooking tips

The purpose of any sauce is to complement the main dish, helping to emphasize its advantages and hide flaws. The simplest and most uncomplicated culinary creation - delicious gravy - you can turn any meal into a unique and inimitable culinary masterpiece. It is known that for a festive feast housewives usually prepare their signature most delicious sauce. Often this dish becomes an indispensable addition to an ordinary family dinner.

To date, the chefs have invented such a huge number of all kinds of sauces that it seems that their number already exceeds the number of treats, the originality of which they are intended to shade. Basil pesto, onion subiz, milk bechamel, tomato satsebeli, lingonberry cumberland, plum tkemali ... And it is useless to argue which of the sauces is the most delicious. Each of the delicacies has its own zest, which for many of them has gained not only the hot location of sophisticated gourmets, but also wide popularity around the world. The article presents recipes for the most delicious sauces known in modern cooking.

What is a sauce?

Sauce is a liquid seasoning served with the main course (translated from French - gravy). This dish has been known since time immemorial, a mention of the first of them is found in ancient gastronomic literature. Any of the sauces is prepared on the basis of meat, fish, vegetable or mushroom broth, milk, cream or sour cream, as well as filler - vegetables, berries, egg yolks, odorous herbs and spices. The consistency of gravy is thick and liquid. They also add cheese, wine, nuts (crushed), honey. For thickening, they use flour and starch (potato or corn).

The most delicious sauces in the world

The most delicious and famous gravy that has gained worldwide popularity are:

• Bechamel (France).
• Pesto (Italy).
• Cowberry Sauce (Sweden).
• Tartare (France).
• Mushroom sauce (Russia).
• Tkemali (Georgia).
• Tsatsiki (Greece).
• Hollandaise sauce (France).
• Guacamole (Mexico).
• Chutney (India).

Next, we present some of the most popular recipes for the most delicious sauces in the world.

Bechamel (France)

There are many variations of this famous gravy. It is prepared to complement the taste of fish, seafood, meat, vegetables, lasagna, moussaki. Many in France consider bechamel famous for the simplicity of ingredients, ease of preparation and noble origin, the most delicious sauce. To create it use:

• butter - 30 g;
• flour (2 tbsp.spoons);
• milk (600 ml);
• salt (to taste);
• nut (nutmeg);
• if desired, pepper (white or black).

How to cook?

In a capacious stewpan over low heat melt the oil. Add flour, mix well (a homogeneous mixture should be obtained), and fry with continuous stirring for about 2-3 minutes. As a result of roasting, the flour should only lightly brown and acquire a creamy tint (not golden!). Then milk is slowly poured into the composition (it is imperative to continue stirring in order to avoid the formation of lumps), let it boil, reduce the heat and cook until thickened for half an hour. At the end, salt. The finished sauce is filtered in a clean container, if desired, add white pepper and nutmeg.

Pesto (Italy)

The advantage of one of the most delicious sauces in Italy is its simplicity. To cook it, you do not need to boil or fry anything, just mix and grind the ingredients. Pesto cooked with sun-dried tomatoes is a great alternative to tomato pizza dipping sauce, an ideal complement to grilled or baked vegetables. Instead of pine nuts, you can add almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, pumpkin seeds to this dish. Cheeses can also be used in various varieties. Some recipes recommend the addition of mint, celery, sheep’s cheese, tarragon, cilantro, and in Russia, basil is replaced with wild garlic. This gravy is eaten with croutons, pasta, spaghetti, lasagna, rice, mashed potatoes, meat and fish dishes.

Composition and cooking features

To prepare the gravy use:

• extra virgin olive oil - 100 ml;
• green basil - 1 bunch;
• garlic - two cloves;
• Parmesan - 50 grams;
• pine nuts - 50 grams;
• juice of 0.5 lemon.

The basil is washed, dried and ground. Chop the garlic finely, grate the cheese. The cheese is mixed with basil and garlic and ground in a mortar. You can also use a blender or a food processor to make pesto, but experts recommend doing everything manually, using a good old mortar and wooden pestle, so that the sauce is saturated with the warmth of human hands. Further, while continuing to grind the products, olive oil, lemon juice and salt are gradually added.

Cumberland - Swedish Lingonberry Sauce

This dish is characterized by a high content of vitamins, simplicity and ease of preparation, as well as a successful combination of its components. The sweet and sour taste of this gravy is in harmony with dishes of red meat, wild duck and venison. It is sometimes added with cranberry jam, orange or lemon juice, cognac, as well as seasonings: English mustard (dry), cayenne pepper and ginger. Various casseroles, poultry and meat dishes are eaten with cumberland.

Ingredients and Technology

For cooking you will need:

• Fresh lingonberry - 500 g.
• Water - 1 l.
• Port or other red wine - 100 ml.
• Starch - 10 g.
• Sugar - 200 g.
• To taste - cinnamon.

Lingonberries are washed and poured with water. They allow it to boil, after which the broth is drained, and the berries are ground through a sieve or crushed in a blender so that the consistency of the gravy is as homogeneous as possible.

Lingonberries (grated) are added to a mixture of sugar, wine, cinnamon, diluted with a small amount of broth and boiled for 5 minutes. In the remaining part of the broth, stir the starch, pour it into the berry puree, allow to boil and remove from the stove.

The most delicious mushroom sauce (Russia)

Since mushroom sauce can be used with any dish, it is called universal. You can prepare the most delicious mushroom sauce (from fresh and prepared mushrooms for future use) from many existing recipes, in which, in addition to a pleasant taste and a seductive aroma, there are other advantages: it has relatively few calories and is useful for the body, therefore it is suitable for those who follow a diet.

The most delicious sauce will turn out if it is made from fresh mushrooms. However, this is not always the case. Therefore, in the next recipe we will talk about how to prepare gravy from dried mushrooms.

Recipe Ingredients

This dish perfectly complements buckwheat, potatoes, pasta, rice, meat and vegetables. For cooking use:

• Dried mushrooms (porcini mushrooms) - 70 grams.
• One onion.
• Water - 700 ml.
• Garlic - 2 cloves.
• Sifted flour - 2 tablespoons.
• Vegetable oil (refined) - 40 grams.
• Sour cream (homemade cream is possible) - 150 ml.
• Butter (butter) - 55 grams.
• To taste - salt and pepper.

Cooking features

The most delicious mushroom sauce from dried mushrooms is prepared as follows:

1. Mushrooms are washed and soaked for 30-40 minutes in a glass of boiled water (warm). Then the mushrooms are pulled out, chopped, and the used liquid is combined with the remaining water. Next, mushrooms set to cook.
2. Chopped onions and garlic are fried in vegetable oil until a slight golden brown appears, then butter (cream) is added. After it melts, add flour in small portions and fry with constant stirring until a golden color appears.
3. After about 30-35 minutes, the pan is removed from the heat and the mushroom broth is slightly cooled. Warm broth is poured in small parts into a saucepan with flour (toasted): first 100 ml, mix well, then add the rest of the liquid. Boil for 7-8 minutes, salt, add sour cream, let the sauce boil and boil for about 1-2 minutes.

For a change, chopped parsley (along with sour cream), paprika, nutmeg are added to the gravy.

Dried mushroom sauce is a classic recipe. Ingredients and Technology Description

In the composition of:

• 50-100 grams of dried porcini mushrooms.
• 0.2 kg of onions.
• 0.75 liters of water.
• 100 grams of butter (butter).
• 40 grams of flour (wheat).
• Spices and salt to taste.

Act as follows:

1. Wash the mushrooms, pour two glasses of water (filtered) and leave overnight. Transfer to a pot with water and put on fire. Boil mushrooms, stirring occasionally, over low heat for 20-30 minutes.
2. 10 minutes before the end of cooking add spices and salt. Mushrooms are taken out with a slotted spoon. Cool slightly, chop with a knife.
3. The onions are peeled and chopped with a knife. Fry it until soft in butter (creamy).
4. In a clean frying pan, fry the flour, pour one glass of broth (at the same time, beat the flour with a whisk constantly). If necessary, the broth can first be diluted with warm water (boiled).
5. The sauce is boiled for 5 minutes until thickened. Add mushrooms and onions to the sauce, mix. Cook for about 5 minutes.

This sauce can be used with any dishes. Often, housewives enrich its taste with the addition of herbs, garlic, cream, etc.

Frozen Mushrooms and Sour Cream Sauce

In any season, you can make mushroom sauce of frozen mushrooms (the most delicious is prepared from forest and champignons). As part of this formulation:

• 0.3 kg of frozen mushrooms;
• 2 chicken eggs (yolks);
• 100 ml of mushroom broth;
• 20 grams of wheat flour;
• 150 ml sour cream;
• 40 g butter;
• 2-3 ml of lemon juice;
• to taste - pepper (ground black), salt.

Description of the method of preparation

Act as follows:

1. Mushrooms are thawed and dried with napkins. Melt the butter (butter) and fry the mushrooms in it (until light rosy).
2. Then, in a dry pan, fry the flour until caramel color appears.
3. Then, whipping with a whisk, pour the broth to the flour. At the same time, it is important to ensure that lumps do not form in the resulting mass. If nevertheless they are formed, the sauce is wiped through a sieve or whipped with a blender. Then the mushrooms are poured with sauce and stew, stirring constantly, for several minutes.
4. Eggs are washed, proteins are separated from the yolks. Whisk the yolks with a whisk and mix with sour cream, add salt, spices and lemon juice. Mushrooms are poured with this mass, mixed, stewed over low heat for 5 minutes. So that the yolks are not cooked, the sauce can be heated in a water bath.

Hot sauce is poured into the gravy boat. Serve the dish both hot and cold.

Cooking a sauce of mushrooms (frozen) with cream

This aromatic and delicate gravy can ennoble the taste of any of the dishes. As part of the most delicious creamy sauce:

• 0.5 kg of frozen mushrooms (preferably white);
• 0.5 l of heavy cream;
• 0.3 kg of onions;
• 100 g of fresh dill;
• 40 g butter;
• pepper and salt to taste.

Prepare like this:

1. Mushrooms (frozen) are put in a colander and washed under running cold water. Allow the water to drain. After the mushrooms unfreeze, they should be cut into small pieces.
2. Peel and chop the onion.
3. Dill is cut with a knife.
4. Melt the butter and fry the onion in it over low heat until it reaches softness and translucency.
5. Add mushrooms, fry for 5 minutes. Pour in cream. Stew mushrooms in cream with onions for 10-15 minutes. A few minutes before the end of the process add pepper, salt and dill (chopped).

The sauce is served as an independent dish or used as a sauce.

Meat sauce

Fragrant and thick meat sauce is prepared to complement many vegetable dishes and spaghetti. If this treat, which many consider to be one of the most delicious homemade sauces, is boiled harder, it will come in handy as a dressing for pizza. List of foods needed to prepare 6 servings:

• 500 grams of minced meat;
• 200 ml of meat broth;
• 400 grams of mashed tomatoes (1 can);
• 1 tablespoon flour;
• 1 clove of garlic;
• 1 sprig of thyme;
• 2 sprigs of parsley;
• 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil;
• 1 bay leaf;
• paprika, ground pepper (cayenne, allspice, black);
• salt.

It takes about one and a half hours to cook.

How to make sauce

Act as follows:

1. Onions and garlic are peeled and chopped. Then the onions are fried over medium heat in a deep frying pan with constant stirring for 10 minutes, until it becomes golden. Then it is sprinkled with flour and mixed.
2. Then chop all the greens. Tomatoes (mashed), meat broth (hot), garlic and greens (chopped), bay leaf are added to the pan, bay leaves, spices to taste. Cook over medium heat with occasional stirring for 20 minutes.
3. Increase the heat, add the stuffing and cook, kneading the lumps with a fork. The meat slices should be very small, but as much juice as possible should flow out of each of them as little as possible.
4. The pan is covered and cooked on the smallest fire for half an hour.

Gravy is served at the table hot.

Tip: any mincemeat is used for this sauce, but the most delicious is a dish made from assorted lamb and ground beef minced meat.