SAUCES, STOCKS, SALAD DRESSINGS & GRAVY

To begin with, you may wish to buy ready-made sauces or the packets of dry powdered sauce to which milk is added. However, there are a few very basic sauces that we've included on the site that are very simple to make and which taste so much better for being home-made.

Also, while stock cubes are fine for adding a little extra flavour to some dishes, a home-made stock is so much better. You can make stock at any time and freeze it until needed. I can promise you it's worth the extra effort.

Though it's not the intention to turn 'NeedARecipe' into a definitive tome (we prefer to keep to simple, more basic recipes), there are one or two straightforward sauces and stocks that are useful to know since they can be used for all sorts of dishes.

* SAUCES, STOCKS, SALAD DRESSINGS & GRAVY *

GRAVIES

Gravy

In most countries, only a light sauce is added to meat dishes and the use of gravy is a peculiarly British tradition not found elsewhere.

Preparation: 1 Minute
Cooking: 5 Minutes
Onion Gravy

Onion Gravy is one of those recipes that no-one ever thinks about but which can transform a 'regular' meal into a delicious feast. Great with liver.

Preparation: 5 Minutes
Cooking: 15 Minutes
Port and Stilton Gravy

Port and Stilton Gravy, wonderfully aromatic and tangy, is the perfect foil to any juicy roast beef. Port and Stilton are the essence of Englishness

Preparation: 1 Minute
Cooking: 5 Minutes
Yorkshire Puddings with Sausages, Broccoli and Shallot Gravy

Party-sized nibbles, filled with sausage and a little Tenderstem broccoli tree. Be sure to make the gravy, too! Celebrate traditional English cooking!

Preparation: 15 Minutes
Cooking: 40 Minutes

SALAD DRESSINGS

Lemon Dressing

This type of salad dressing is more 'tangy' than either Vinegar Dressing or Summer Oil Dressing, but makes a nice change on a hot summer's day.

Preparation: 3 Minutes
Cooking: NIL
Summer Oil Dressing

Changing from Corn Oil to Olive Oil gives a fresh summery taste to this dressing. Perfect for mixed salads.

Preparation: 3 Minutes
Cooking: NIL
Vinegar Salad Dressing

Ever wonder where restaurants get their salad dressings? Many people think they're commercial but in fact a good dressing is quick and easy to make.

Preparation: 3 Minutes
Cooking: NIL

SAUCES

Béarnaise Sauce

Béarnaise Sauce can, of course, be purchased ready made. However, If you want the best tastes, then you'll need to spend a little kitchen time.

Preparation: 5 Minutes
Cooking: 10 Minutes
Bacon and Cheese Burger Topping

Making a burger topping is quickly and easily done and adds a great flavour to a burger meal.

Preparation: 3 Minutes
Cooking: 4 Minutes
Barbecue Ribs

A few 'secret' ingredients in this recipe for homemade barbecue sauce make these tender and juicy Barbecue Ribs finger lickin' good.

Preparation: 10 Minutes
Cooking: 30 Minutes
Cheese Sauce

Cheese sauce can be served hot on lightly cooked vegetables or, in particular, is very good when making Cauliflower Cheese, Gnocchi or Macaroni Cheese

Preparation: 1 Minute
Cooking: 7 Minutes
Cranberry and Apple Sauce

Cranberry and Apple Sauce (or Jelly) is commonly associated with Thanksgiving dinner in North America and Christmas dinner in the United Kingdom.

Preparation: 10 Minutes
Cooking: 30 Minutes
Fresh Tomato Sauce

The flesh and seeds that are removed from the insides of tomatoes can be used to create a Fresh Tomato Sauce that's perfect with any form of pasta.

Preparation: 5 Minutes
Cooking: 40 Minutes
Monk Fish in Bacon with Parsley Cream

Monk Fish in Bacon with Parsley Cream is an incredibly simple recipe that will serve 4 as a main course or 6 as a starter.

Preparation: 10 Minutes
Cooking: 25 Minutes
Mushroom and Cheese Burger Topping

Making a burger topping is quickly and easily done and adds a great flavour to a burger meal. Whilst making the topping, keep the burgers warm.

Preparation: 3 Minutes
Cooking: 5 Minutes
Pasta and Fresh Tomato Sauce

This recipe is an ideal way of using Fresh Tomato Sauce You will notice a distinct difference between your own tomato sauce and that found in jars.

Preparation: 4 Minutes
Cooking: 8 Minutes
Pork and Apple Meatballs

Pork and Apple Meatballs are quick and easy and cooked completely in the oven. If you are puzzling what to serve for lunch, puzzle no more!

Preparation: 20 Minutes
Cooking: 1 Hour 15 Minutes
Prawn Perfection

In Prawn Perfection the peppery flavour of the paper-thin slices turnip perfectly balances the sweetness of the king prawns and the red pepper sauce.

Preparation: 20 Minutes
Cooking: 30 Minutes
Roast Lamb Guard of Honour with Peppercorn Sauce

This is a beautiful way to cook and serve a complete row of lamb cutlets. You will need to buy the cutlets from your butcher so he can "chine" them.

Preparation: 20 Minutes
Cooking: 1 Hour
Satay with Peanut Sauce

The bite-size portions in this simple recipe for Satay with Peanut Sauce are intended as part of an aperitif rather than as a main dish.

Preparation: 5 Minutes
Cooking: 15 Minutes
Spinach and Tomato Eggs Benedict

Spinach and Tomato Eggs Benedict is a "light" version of the famous Eggs Benedict - an American breakfast dish that is delicious but calorie rich!

Preparation: 15 Minutes
Cooking: 15 Minutes
Steak with Béarnaise Sauce

Steak with Béarnaise Sauce is one of life's little pleasures that should not be missed. Béarnaise Sauce is a great friend of steak!

Preparation: 10 Minutes
Cooking: 20 Minutes
Sweet and Sour Pork

Of all Chinese dishes, Sweet and Sour Pork is probably one of the best known in the West. Sadly, it is rarely properly made in the West.

Preparation: 15 Minutes
Cooking: 30 Minutes
Sweet and Sour Pork Balls

I owe Ken Hom for this great recipe for Sweet and Sour Pork Balls, though I have amended his original recipe a little to better suit my own tastes.

Preparation: 15 Minutes
Cooking: 12 Minutes
Sweet And Sour Pork Mini-Rolls

Sweet And Sour Pork Mini-Rolls are great for barbeques, buffet lunches or just for fun with a family in the house. You'll need small slider rolls.

Preparation: 25 Minutes
Cooking: 10 Minutes
Sweet and Sour Sauce

Sweet and Sour Sauce is a useful commodity to have handy in the fridge for barbeques and other cooked meats. Use this recipe to make a jar full.

Preparation: 10 Minutes
Cooking: 25 Minutes
Tonnato

Vitello Tonnato is a well-known Italian dish of cold, sliced veal covered with a creamy, mayonnaise-like sauce that has been flavoured with tuna.

Preparation: 5 Minutes
Cooking: 5 Minutes
Turkey and Squeak

Turkey and Squeak is a simple variation of Bubble & Squeak using turkey meat instead of lamb or beef. Perfect for using up leftovers

Preparation: 25 Minutes
Cooking: 30 Minutes
White Sauce

White sauce is used in a variety of dishes and is the base for many sauces. Here are the steps for a basic medium white sauce, with adjustments for ot

Preparation: 1 Minute
Cooking: 9 Minutes

STOCKS

Beef Stock

Often you can use a stoch cube, but a really good Beef Stock can easily be made and any extra frozen for next time.

Preparation: 10 Minutes
Cooking: 3 Hours 30 Minutes
Chicken Stock (or white stock)

Chicken Stock (or white stock) is a nice, light stock that has a multitude of uses. If you have a chicken carcass left over from cooking it's easy.

Preparation: 10 Minutes
Cooking: 1 Hour
Fish Fumet

Fish Fumet (concentrated fish stock) is used in preparing many sauces accommodating fish dishes or fish soups (It keeps up to 3 days in the fridge)

Preparation: 10 Minutes
Cooking: 1 Hour
Fish Stock (Court Bouillon)

Fish Stock (Court Bouillon) is the perfect stock in which to braise or poach fish. A court-bouillon is an aromatic liquid or stock with many uses.

Preparation: 15 Minutes
Cooking: 20 Minutes