to ask for the special ingredient...

[Aburg163]

you all add to your cooking. I have recently started eating a lot more after not being able to for a while and I spend all of my time in the kitchen. I'm sure I'll get bored eventually but for now cooking and eating is the best thing ever. I want to know, as I am getting more accustomed to all these wonderful recipes floating about online what your ultimate secret ingredient is. Not really an AIBU apologies but I'm so interested! For example I had someone reccomend a pint of beef stock for my tuna pasta bake. It was incredible but not something I'd have thought of. Share your secrets!

Not so secret but English mustard in cheese sauce

I also put a little bit of mustard powder in cheese sauce.

I love mace (the outer covering of nutmeg) in my Christmas stuffing - with dried apricots and thyme, mmmmm!

Tiny bit of sugar in tomato sauce as flavour enhancer

Pinch of salt in cakes (if not using salted butter)

Cornmeal to give your roasties an extra crunch. Chuck some into your drained, par boiled spuds along with some season and give them a good shake before tipping them on to a tray of piping hot fat. They'll get lovely, crispy rough edges.

Also a bit of grated nutmeg in cheese sauce is absolutely delicious.

Add your spices/flavours at the beginning and let them mature, don't add these things at the end as the spices (particularly hot stuff like chili) will be raw and harsh.
Conversely, add herbs near the end so the flavor is not burned off.

Roast potatoes always cooked in beef dripping never oil or butter, I cover them in american chip spice and they are heavenly.

You need this in your life.

Yellow miso in vegetable soups

Magis for anything meat based

MSG powder finds its way into a few dishes...

Massive glug of extra virgin olive oil to any tomato-based dish just before serving (really elevates even a simple dish).

Crumbling a chicken stock cube into some flour (as though you're making a crumble) and spooning over roast potatoes just before they go into the oven for that elusive crispy outer coating.

Homemade sausage rolls,

I make a huge batch different flavours (there is a lot of us) especially this time of year.

I add (not all together )

cheese and pickle
sage and onion
stilton
cranberry and bacon
wholegrain mustard
apple and dijon.

Your choices are endless.

Mushroom stock cubes are my current favourite to add to most things.

Worcester sauce for me... put it in most things

For anything tomato-y that seems a bit lacking, paprika (not smoked) is often the answer.

Little bit of mustard powder and/or nutmeg in a cheese sauce.

Butter, salt and sugar make most things taste better!

i mix up a batch of emerile lagasse's bam spice mix.
i sprinkle it on everything
www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/emerils-essence-3645101

Bone marrow to stews/casseroles/bourginon

Another one with the secret ingredient of MSG. (After reading everything I could find about it, i was convinced it was safe and natural.)

Cooking sherry in many sauces and things like Bolognese.

Nutmeg in potatoes.

Absolutely must have allspice in stews and pea soup.

A pinch of cayenne in a cheese sauce (and many other things).

White pepper.

@PurpleDaisies

Mushroom stock cubes are my current favourite to add to most things.

I didn't know these existed! I bet they are amazing with pasta and some soups.

This might be obvious as I want really taught to cook but butter at the end when making a tomato or meat based tomato sauce (instead of olive oil)

Some tinned refried beans in a chilli to thicken it.

Cranberry jelly to a beef stew.

Chopped coriander in plain rice to serve with chilli.

Roast red peppers and blend, add to almost any tomato-based sauces - amazing in bolognese!

Wine in a sauce. Just adds something. If you don't have any open I have a bottle of white supermarket Vermouth on the go for adding in place of white wine. It keeps for ages. Or freeze wine in cubes.

These are the ones I use @ZeroFuchsGiven

www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/282047686

We’re a veggie household and they’re great in bolognese, gravy, stroganoff, stews… All sorts really.