Picada is a Catalan and Valencian specialty sauce consisting of almonds or other nuts, bread, and liquids such as water or different broths. Some cooks like to add cinnamon, cumin, chocolate, saffron, or garlic in order to improve the flavors even further.
The sauce is traditionally used as a thickening agent when added to other sauces, or as a seasoning for various meat, fish, and vegetable dishes.
Salsa española is a traditional Sauce originating from Spain. It is usually made with a combination of onions, carrots, flour, olive oil, water, salt, and dry sherry or dry white wine. The ingredients are cooked until the sauce is slightly thickened.
It is then cooled and processed until smooth. This sauce is most commonly used for meat dishes, vegetable dishes, and for making stuffed peppers. It is also a crucial element of the traditional dish known as patatas a la importancia.
Bagnet verd is an Italian green sauce that dates back to the Middle Ages. Originating from Piedmont, the sauce is prepared with a combination of parsley, garlic, anchovies, egg yolks, bread, olive oil, and vinegar. The anchovies and garlic are finely chopped, the egg yolk is crushed, the bread is soaked in vinegar, and all of these are then combined with salt, pepper, and the remaining ingredients until the sauce develops a creamy consistency.
For an even stronger-tasting sauce, capers are sometimes added to the mix. Bagnet verd is traditionally used with boiled meat or grilled Tomino chese.
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Gribiche is a French sauce (one of Escoffier's mother sauce versions) and a flavorful, tangy accompaniment to charcuterie, fish, and boiled meat dishes. The uniqueness of gribiche comes from the fact that hard-boiled yolks are used to thicken it, binding together the oil and vinegar into a creamy base to which tarragon, egg whites, cornichons, and capers are usually added.
After the sauce is cooled, it is recommended to pair it with asparagus, potatoes, and early spring vegetables.
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Sauce vierge (lit. virgin sauce) is a French sauce based on chopped tomatoes and basil, lemon juice, and olive oil. According to one of the theories about its unusual name, it has been named after England's Queen Elizabeth I, also known as the Virgin Queen.
Other sources claim that it's called virgin because it is uncooked, and another one says that the reasoning behind the name is due to the fact that the sauce requires virgin olive oil. Sauce vierge has been popularized in the 1980s by Michel Guérard, the authority of novelle cuisine.
Samfaina is a Spanish dish that is closely related to the French ratatouille. Originating from Catalonia, samfaina is made with eggplants, tomatoes, onions, peppers, and olive oil. Of course, there are as many variations as there are cooks, so some prefer to add garlic or roast the peppers before making the dish.
Samfaina is both a sauce and a side dish, and nowadays, it can even be served on its own as a vegetarian dish. When served as a sauce or a side dish, it usually accompanies meat, rice, or fish (especially cod). The name of the dish means symphony, possibly referring to the symphony of various vegetables and flavors.
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Pesto rosso, also known as red pesto, is an Italian sauce that combines the fresh, herbal flavors of traditional pesto Genovese with the rich, tangy sweetness of tomatoes. It is made by blending fresh basil, pine nuts, garlic, pecorino cheese, and olive oil (the base of Pesto Genovese) with tomato pulp or sun-dried tomatoes, which give the sauce its distinctive red color and robust flavor.
The result is a rich, savory, and slightly tangy sauce with a perfect balance of herbal freshness, nuttiness, and umami. Pesto rosso is highly versatile and can be used to toss with pasta, as a spread for bread or sandwiches, a topping for grilled vegetables, chicken, or fish, or even mixed into soups and stews for added depth.
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Xató is a simple Catalan sauce made with breadcrumbs, garlic, hazelnuts, almonds, vinegar, olive oil, dried nyora peppers, and a bit of salt. It is traditionally prepared in a mortar, but home cooks can easily make it in a blender. Originally, xató comes from the Garraf and Penedès regions, where it is usually prepared for the Carnival and used as an accompaniment to different varieties of filled omelets.
Apart from that, the sauce is traditionally used as a dressing for the eponymous xató salad that consists of endive leaves, anchovies, Arbequina olives, salt cod, and tuna.
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Chasseur sauce, often called hunter's sauce, is a brown sauce from France that is typically served with beef or chicken dishes. It is made from a demi-glace base with added mushrooms, shallots, white wine, and tomatoes. It is called hunter's sauce because chasseur was originally used to enhance the flavors of tough game birds.
It is believed that the governor of Saumur, named Duke Philippe De Mornay created the sauce in the 1600s. The most popular dish that uses chasseur sauce is coq au vin, a French creation that combines vegetables, poultry, and brown sauce.
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Frequently added to meat and other savory dishes, bordelaise sauce consists of chopped shallots and spices reduced in, ideally, dry red wine, over medium to high heat. The sauce is named after Bordeaux, the main wine-producing region in France.
A combination of bone marrow and broth, called demi-glace, may be additionally added to the sauce to further enhance the flavors. Traditionally, bordelaise sauce is served with steaks, veal, pork, or lamb, although some cooks prefer to use it as a flavoring for mashed potatoes or mushrooms.
MOST ICONIC Sauce Bordelaise
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