"Secret ingredients" thar make a good dish a great dish

[PrincessHoneysuckle]

I've discovered recently that very finely chopped cooked smoked bacon really is a game changer in lasagne.I add it to the ragu.Tastes Amazing.

Anyone else got any?

A few dried mushrooms (porcini or mixed or whatever) and their broth in veggie "bolognese" sauce. Makes a bigger difference than you'd think.

Anchovies in salad dressings, on boiled potatoes, as a seasoning for roasting lamb....

Thank you OP (and PP), I love this thread so much. Wonderful ideas. Definitely going to try mustard in my yorkies!

Vegetable stock cubes in pasta dishes. Also agree with the fresh ginger!

I put butter in baked beans.so good

I'd always started lots of things off like soups and sauces with onions and garlic but just roughly chopped. First time reading about and then making a mirepoix/soffrito in a food processor was a game changer for flavour.

These are great. Some make sense but others I don’t understand how it works!
like the milk in bolognese.

More a tip than a secret ingredient - marinade steak in kiwi fruit to tenderize it.

Adding pineapple juice to chilli con carne. I first did it as a way to counteract it being too spicy and now just love the taste.

Teaspoon of horseradish sauce in mashed potatoes- gives them a bit of a kick

My dog’sgoing to be so sad at the loss of Parmesan rinds😂

I now only make rice by softening some garlic in butter, adding the rice and then adding boiling water and a chicken stock cube.

And yes to a big dollop of ketchup in anything with tinned toms or in the absence of ketchup a spoonful of sugar.

I keep cabbage water and drink it with white pepper. Delish.

Lardons/pancetta/bacon in cottage pie.

Star anise (and a dash of milk) in spaghetti Bolognaise made with a mix of pork and beef.

Does this count? Couple of tablespoons of the pasta water stirred in with the sauce at the end makes a big difference to the consistency of a pasta dish.

This was a complete accident by DP but.... hoisin sauce in bolognaise or tomato based sauces, tastes amazing and you only need a spoonful.

I am on my hols at the moment, will be for next 10 days - but I will make a note of this and get back to you when I get home. (Feel free to remind me if I don’t!). I will definitely dig out that recipe book - currently on a beach holiday, but now all I can think of now is mushroom soup! 😂

Marmite in beef gravy or any meal that needs a dark gravy eg cottage pie etc

Miso in place of fish sauce in Asian recipes like Thai curry.

Lots of white pepper with egg fried rice.
A dash of alcohol (I use fortified wine) on the wok when it is at its hottest, with the rice pushed to one side, towards the end so that it sizzles and lets off that aroma before flipping the rice back in.

Using mayo to spread on and fry the outside slices of a pan-fried cheese sandwich. The egg in it does magical things to the bread (goes all crispy) and cheese (goes all gooey). Can add onions or spring onions, ham...
Since trying it once I've never gone back to dry old cheese on toast done in the oven. Croque Monsieur is great with mayo on the underside though.

More a technique (from Marcella Hazan), but if you want your onions tender, start them off in cold oil or butter and let them warm up as the pan heats up.

Yeah any old mayo, you can't really taste it, just makes a good "glue"! I use it when I make those cornflake/dorito chicken nuggets. I did try it with extra light mayo and it didn't paint on quite so well mind. It's a bit jelly-ish isn't it.

I read somewhere once about brushing a steak with mayo before cooking instead of oil- I haven't tried it yet though!

It takes the tartness off the sauce. It gives it a nicer flavour, so it’s not as acidic.

Thank you @Fluffywigg I’m going to try that.

It also helps to tenderise the meat.

I do this. Great umami flavour lived even by those who hate fish

Lived = loved

A small amount of salt flakes in melted Belgian chocolate to drizzle on pancakes. So delicious.