Sauces & Condiments : How To Make Dashi

Dashi is a key ingredient in many authentic Japanese recipes. Follow our expert led guide to find out how to make it the right way. A great place to start if you are preparing a Japanese meal. Dashi is a seaweed and fish flavoured stock. In Japan it's a commonly used and essential part of many dishes.

Preparation Time : 3 hours
Cooking Time : 5 minutes

INGREDIENTS
1 ltr Water
20 g Dried Kelp
20 g Smoked dried bonito flakes
50 ml Cold water
1 large sauce pan
1 muslin lined sieve
1 bowl

PROCESSING METHOD

Soak the kelp
* Place the kelp in a saucepan in the one litre of water and leave it to soak for at least two hours to properly expand, but for no more than five hours as it will become bitter.
* Then put the saucepan on a high heat.
* Just before the water reaches boiling point, when it just begins to bubble, use chopsticks or other suitable utensils to remove the kelp.
* Keep the water boiling for one more minute.
* Turn the heat off and pour in the 50 millilitres of cold water to cool it quickly

Bonito flakes
* Add the 20 grams of bonito flakes and leave them to soak for about 15 minutes. By this time all of the flakes will have sunk to the bottom.

Time to strain
* Put the sieve lined with the muslin cloth over the bowl and strain the Dashi through.
* Gather the cloth from each corner and carefully lift to create a pouch containing the bonito flakes.
* Squeeze the cloth gently to aid the liquid through, but don't press too hard or wring it, just let it drip.

   
Salad : How To Make Lemon Vinaigrette Dressing

Lemon vinaigrette dressing is a creative twist on an age old recipe used on meats and on salads. Free yourself from store-bought dressing and learn how to make this tangy lemon vinaigrette dressing at home. Our VideoJug chef, CJ -aka- Chris Jacobson (finalist on the hit TV show Top Chef) shows you how!

INGREDIENTS
1/2 medium shallot, diced
1 D 3 cups (80 ml) lemon juice
2 D 3 cups (160 ml) canola or olive oil
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste

PROCESSING METHOD

Dice The Shallots
* To prevent injury, keep your cutting board stable by securing it with a wet towel or dish towel underneath. This will prevent slipping.
* Cut one half of a shallot lengthwise several times, then widthwise several times to create finely diced cubes.
* Add the diced half shallot to a mixing bowl.

Add Lemon Juice
* Add 1/3 cup (75 ml) of lemon juice from two to three lemons to the bowl and begin to mix with a pinch of salt. It's better to use real lemon juice rather than the kind bought at the store.
* Add 1 Tbsp of white wine vinegar to the lemon juice and whisk.

Add Oils
* Using the formula 1 part lemon juice to 2 parts oil, slowly add 2/3 cup (150 ml) of oil to the bowl, whisking briskly.
* You can use both olive oil and canola oil to give the dressing more depth. Whisk until the dressing is creamy.
* Add salt and black pepper to taste.
* Refrigerate and enjoy your lemon vinaigrette dressing!

Hi, I'm Rachel Edelman for About.com Food. Today I'm going to show you how to make linguine with clam sauce. Strapped for time but don't want to order take-out again? With a few simple ingredients, you can have delicious, homemade linguine with clam sauce.

INGREDIENTS
12 ounces uncooked linguine
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 10-ounce cans of whole baby clams, drained
salt
pepper
8 ounces bottled clam juice
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

PROCESSING METHOD

Cook the Linguine
* First, in a large pot with boiling water, cook the linguine according to package directions.
* When it is ready, drain the pasta, set it aside, and cover it to keep it warm.

Combine the Clam Sauce Ingredients
* Next, pour oil in large skillet over medium heat.
* Once it is hot, add the onion and the garlic. Saute for about two minutes.
* Now add the baby clams and mix it in, cooking for another two minutes.
* Then season the mixture by adding the oregano, salt, and the pepper. Mix this all together.
* Next, add the clam juice, the chicken broth, and the wine. Bring the mixture to a boil.
* Then, reduce the heat and simmer for about five minutes. You will see that it will reduce a little.

Serve the Linguine With Clam Sauce
* Now, stir in the Parmesan cheese and simmer for one more minute, so the cheese melts.
* Arrange the linguine into the serving dish.
* Pour the clam sauce over the linguine and toss it to combine everything.

   
Salad : How To Make Prawn And Avocado Salad

Prawn and Avocado Salad Recipe served as an appetiser or a supplement to a main meal. An excellent combination of two popular foods.

SERVING : 4

Preparation Time : 15 minutes
Cooking Time : 5 minutes

INGREDIENTS
2 limes, peeled and cut into quarters
salt and freshly ground pepper
3 tbsp flat leaf parsley
60 ml olive oil
2 shallots, finely sliced
20 raw prawns, peeled and deveined, tails left on
1 iceberg lettuce, washed, dried and shredded
2 avocados, each cut into eight pieces
2 tbsp olive oil for cooking

1 medium sized bowl
1 mixing spoon
1 frying pan
tongs

PROCESSING METHOD

Cook the prawns
* Pour the olive oil into the frying pan and heat. Once the oil is hot add the prawns and leave them to cook for 1 minute.
* Turn over the prawns and cook for a further minute.
* Season with salt and freshly ground pepper.
* Shake the pan, remove from the heat and place the prawns on a cool dish.

Make the dressing
* Into a bowl place seven of the lime quarters, the other two will be used later.
* Add the flat leafy parsley and the shallots.
* Pour on the olive oil and season with some salt and pepper.
* Finally, squeeze out the juice from the remaining lime quarter.
* Gently mix everything together to combine all the flavours.

Serve the salad
* First place some of the iceberg lettuce onto the plate and add some of the avocado wedges.
* Position five of the prawns on top of the lettuce.
* Spoon over a little of the dressing and drizzle on some of the juice.

Hi, Lea Elleseff here for About.com Food. Today I'm going to show you how easy it is to make tahini sauce. Tahini sauce is a very popular addition to many Middle Eastern foods. It is a topping for falafel, and an ingredient in baba ganoush and hummus. Learn how simple it is to make tahini sauce, a popular Middle Eastern topping for falafel, and an ingredient in both baba ganoush and hummus.

INGREDIENTS
4 c. white sesame seeds
1/4 c. olive oil
blender
1-2 baking sheets

PROCESSING METHOD

Prepare the Sesame Seeds
* Begin by spreading the sesame seeds over the baking trays. Place the trays into an oven that has been preheated to 350 degrees for at least 10 minutes. Stir with a spatula from time to time, making sure they get golden but not brown.

Blend the Tahini Mixture
* Pour the toasted sesame seeds into a blender and add the quarter cup of olive oil.
* Blend them together until the mixture is smooth and pour-able, adding more oil in if the mixture is too thick to pour easily.

Storing and Using Tahini
* And just like that your tahini sauce is ready to be served or stored. The great thing about this sauce is that it can be kept fresh in the refrigerator for up to a month.
* Today I'm going to use it right away, as a dressing on a simple tomato and cucumber salad. Maybe tomorrow I'll use it as a sandwich spread. The possibilities for using tahini sauce are numerous, so don't hesitate to experiment.

Hi, I'm Rachel Edelman for About.com Food. Today I'm going to show you how to make a shrimp cocktail sauce. Shrimp cocktails are perfect for parties or as an easy weeknight treat. Watch how to make tangy shrimp cocktail sauce.

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups of ketchup
1 1/2 tablespoons horseradish
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 squeeze of hot sauce
pinch of salt and pepper

PROCESSING METHOD

Combine the Shrimp Cocktail Sauce Ingredients
* In a blender or mixer, pour in 1 1/2 cups of ketchup.
* Next, add 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce, 1 1/2 tablespoons of horseradish, and 1 1/2 teaspoons of sugar.
* On a cutting board, roll a lemon to help get the juices flowing. Cut the lemon in half, and squeeze one piece over the blender. If you hold it with the cut side up, you can help prevent the seeds from falling into the sauce.
* Then add the hot sauce and the salt and pepper. Remember, you can always add more hot sauce or salt and pepper if you would like.

Blend the Shrimp Cocktail Sauce Ingredients
* Put the lid on the blender. Turn the blender on, and blend on low. You can see how fast the blender mixes it all up.
* Use a spatula to scrape the sides of the blender, and then turn it on one more time.
* Once the mixture becomes very thick, turn off the blender and pour the sauce into a serving bowl.

Serve the Shrimp Cocktails
* I am pouring the cocktail sauce into a candy dish to make a fancier presentation.
* Use cooked and shelled jumbo shrimp with the tails still on.
* Hang the shrimp on the side of the bowl.
* Place it all on a few pieces of lettuce for a beautiful serving platter.

   
Salad : How To Make Tomato Salad With Chives & Shallots

Tomato Salad with Chives & Shallots Recipe. A juicy tomato salad with a flavoursome chive and shallot twist and a mustard dressing - perfect for any occasion.

SERVING : 4

Preparation Time : 20 minutes
Cooking Time : 5 minutes

INGREDIENTS
8 tomatoes
1 bunch of chives
5 regular shallots
3 tbsp dark French mustard
1/2 tbsp sugar
75 ml malt vinegar
220 ml sunflower oil
salt
pepper

1 bowl
1 whisk
1 measuring jug
1 small knife for peeling
1 large cutting knife
1 chopping board
1 large pan
1 large slotted spoon

PROCESSING METHOD

Make the dressing
* Quickly whisk the mustard, sugar and vinegar together.
* Slowly add the oil in a thin stream and then whisk again firmly.
* Season with salt and pepper, give it a quick mix, and leave your dressing to stand.

Blanch the tomatoes
* Remove the 'eye' of each tomato and make a cross on the bottom.
* Boil a litre of water and put the tomatoes in for 20 seconds, then straight into iced water. Leave for one minute, remove and peel off the skin.

Chop the shallots
* Finely chop the shallots and put to one side.

Slice the tomatoes
* Finely slice each tomato horizontally, discarding the very top and bottom.

Chop the chives
* Take the bunch of chives and cut them finely.

Prepare the plate
* Arrange the sliced, blanched tomatoes onto a plate.

Add the dressing
* Sprinkle the chopped chives and shallots over the tomatoes, drizzle the dressing over the top and serve.

 
British Food : How To Make Mushroom Sauce

A rich, distinctive mushroom sauce which makes a great complement to many a vegetarian dish - such as nut roast.

SERVING : 600 ml / 1 pint

Preparation Time : 2 minutes
Cooking Time : 50 minutes

INGREDIENTS
40 g dried mushrooms
250 ml red wine
250 ml vegetable stock
1 tbsp corn flour
salt
pepper

1 wooden spoon
1 saucepan
1 small bowl
1 fork

PROCESSING METHOD

Cover with water
* To the bowl of mushrooms, pour in enough boiling water to cover them and briefly stir in with your wooden spoon. Leave to absorb for 5 minutes.

Reduce the wine
* Place the saucepan on a high heat and add the red wine. Leave it to reduce by half which will take approximately 5 minutes.

Add the stock
* Once reduced add the vegetable stock, pour in the bowl of mushrooms and water, stir well and bring to the boil.
* Once boiling, turn down the heat to a simmer. Leave to cook for half an hour.

Add the corn flour
* Add a little cold water to the bowl of corn flour and mix in with a fork. Bring the pan back to the boil. Add the corn flour and stir well. Season with salt and pepper, stir again and remove from the heat.

Serve
* Transfer the sauce into a jug and serve hot. Try it with a mixed nut roast.

 
Sauces & Condiments : How To Make Chicken Stock

A handy and flavoursome stock that can be used in a variety of dishes.

SERVING : Makes 2,5 litres

Preparation Time : 10 minutes
Cooking Time : 2 hours 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS
1 kg chicken leftovers
3 1/2 ltr water
1 large white onion
2 medium carrots
1 large leek
3 large celery
5 medium button mushrooms
A handful of parsley
2 bay leaves
1 tsp whole black pepper

A large pot
A cutting knife
A chopping board
A strainer
A table spoon

PROCESSING METHOD

Clean the chicken
* Take your chicken leftovers and remove any excess fat and skin. Don't forget that it is very important to thoroughly clean all utensils afterwards.

Put in casserole dish
* Make sure that your pot is large enough for 5 litres of liquid.

Fill with water
* Pour 3.5 litres of cold water over the chicken and start bringing to the boil.

Chop the vegetables
* In the meantime roughly chop up all the vegetables except for the parsley which will provide more flavour unchopped. It is unimportant how you cut up the rest of your ingredients as they will all be strained out of the stock.

Discard impurities
* As the chicken starts to boil, foam and grease will rise to the surface - skim these impurities out and lower the heat on your oven to leave the liquid simmering.

Add all vegetables
* Now is the time to add your vegetables into the slowly bubbling pot
* Leave the stock cooking like this for between 1.5 and 2 hours.

Strain the stock
* After it is cooked pour the liquid through a strainer into a pouring jug and leave to cool down to room temperature.
TIP : Between 4 and 60 degrees C there is a danger zone where germs can breed. Why not bring the temperature of your chicken stock down quickly by placing it inside a bowl of ice cubes?

Put in fridge
* Chicken stock is very versatile. It is useful to always have it handy in the kitchen as it can be used for a variety of dishes.
* Once it has cooled down, cover and place in your fridge where it will keep for up to 4 days or in the freezer, where it will taste delicious for up to 2 months.

   
Sauces & Condiments : How To Make Low-Fat Blue Cheese Dressing

This quick and easy recipe still delivers the tangy taste of blue cheese without all the additional fat of the traditional dressing and you won't be able to tell the difference.

SERVING : 4 to 6

Preparation Time : 5 minutes
Cooking Time : 10 minutes

INGREDIENTS
40 g blue cheese, crumbled
1 tsp Dijon mustard
100 g low-fat yoghurt
2 tbsp low-fat mayonaisse
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp lemon juice
salt and pepper , to taste
some salad greens, for garnish

1 bowl
1 whisk
1 spoon

PROCESSING METHOD

Make the dressing
* To begin the dressing, spoon the blue cheese into a bowl. Add the yoghurt, mayonnaise, mustard, red wine vinegar, the lemon juice and the garlic. Whisk it well to combine.
* Season it well with salt and pepper. Then give it a final stir.

Serve
* Spoon the dressing over salad greens. Be sure to use it lightly, as not to over-power the fresh flavour of the greens. The greens should remain crisp and not become soggy under the weight of the dressing.
* Serve as a healthy snack or lunch.