Sauces, Dressings and Condiments

[Zana]

Vanilla Bean Vinaigrette

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds scraped
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons Champagne vinegar
1 tablespoon hot water
1 1/2 tablespoons honey or to taste
1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon
1/4 teaspoon salt
fresh ground pepper

Place the oil, vanilla bean pods and seeds into a small sauce pan over
medium heat.
Bring the oil up to a low simmer, and then remove from heat and let stand at least 1 hour to infuse the vanilla flavor.
Strain the oil through a fine sieve to remove the vanilla pod (the seeds will remain in the oil).
Cool completely.
Combine all ingredients except the oil in a small immersion blender or food processor, pulsing until the mixture is completely blended and smooth.
Slowly add the oil while blending until the mixture is completely
emulsified.
Transfer to a small bowl or squeeze bottle and chill before
dressing salad.


Makes 3 to 4 servings.

[Zana]

Roasted Garlic Sauce

2 whole heads of garlic
1 orange juiced
1 grapefruit juiced
1 lemon juiced
2 tbsps. sake or dry vermouth
2 tbsps. extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsps. white miso (soybean paste)
black pepper

1. Remove most of the papery skin from the garlic heads. Slice off the top to expose the flesh.

2. Place garlic heads on tin foil with 1 tablespoon sake or vermouth and 2 tablespoons of citrus juice. Fold foil into packet and place in 275 oven for about an hour or until soft and roasted.

3. Cool and squeeze garlic into bowl. Mix with other ingredients and blend well. Serve by the dollop on tomatoes, with artichokes or as you wish. Garnish with fresh herbs such as Spanish tarragon, basil, marjoram, etc.

[Zana]

Polynesian Teriyaki Sauce


1/2 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup apricot pineapple preserves
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup water

Combine first four ingredients in saucepan and bring to a boil slowly.
While sauce is cooking, combine cornstarch and water and add to sauce.
Cook until sauce thickens.

[Zana]

Creamy Sage-Giblet Gravy

1 tsp. vegetable oil
2 1/2 ozs. turkey liver
1 cup degreased turkey drippings
3 tbsps. all-purpose flour
1 2/3 cups 2% low-fat milk
1/2 cup evaporated skimmed milk
1 1/2 tsps. margarine
1 tsp. rubbed sage
1 small clove garlic, minced
2 tbsps. chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp. spicy brown mustard
1/2 tsp. salt

• Heat oil in a small nonstick skillet over medium heat.
• Add liver, saute 5 minutes or until done.
• Remove from skillet, set aside.
• Add drippings to skillet, bring to a boil, stirring with a wooden spoon to loosen browned bits.
• Remove from heat, set aside.
• Chop liver; set aside.

• Place flour in a bowl.
• Gradually add milks, blending with a wire whisk, set aside.
• Melt margarine in a saucepan over medium heat.
• Add sage and garlic, saute 1 minute.
• Add milk mixture, stirring constantly.
• Stir in drippings and liver, bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
• Reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, 2 minutes or until thickened.
• Remove from heat, stir in parsley, mustard, and salt.

Yields 3 1/3 cups.

[Zana]

Rhubarb Butter Sauce for Halibut

2 stalks rhubarb, chopped, about 1 1/2 cups
1/2 cup off-dry white wine
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon crushed garlic
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1 pinch salt and pepper
1 cup cold, unsalted butter, in 1 inch chunks

In a small saucepan, combine rhubarb, wine, sugar, garlic, ginger, salt and pepper.
Over high heat, boil mixture rapidly until rhubarb is soft and reduced to about 1/4 cup.
Into the boiling rhubarb mixture whisk the butter, a few pieces at a time.
Serve immediately, or hold in a thermos.

Serves 4.

[Zana]

Indian Curry Paste For Seafood

6 large garlic cloves
3 stalks lemongrass
4 inch fresh gingerroot, peeled and chopped
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 teaspoon vegetable oil

Use the lower 6 inches of 3 stalks of lemongrass, outer leaves discarded and the
stalks sliced Into a food processor with the motor running drop the garlic, the
lemongrass, and the gingerroot, blending the mixture well, add the turmeric, the
lemon juice, and the salt, and blend the mixture, adding the oil if necessary,
until it forms a paste, Transfer the paste to a jar with a tight-fitting lid.
The paste keeps, covered and chilled, for 2 weeks.

Makes about 2/3 cup.

[Zana]

Mustard Dill Sauce


4 tablespoons Dijon mustard, at room temperature
1 teaspoon dry mustard
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 tablespoons fresh, chopped dill

In a small bowl, mix mustards, sugar and vinegar into a paste.
Slowly whisk in oil until a thick mayonnaise-like emulsion forms.
Stir in dill.
May be refrigerated in a sealed jar several days.
Shake well before using.
Great on fish and seafood.


Makes 3/4 cup.

[Zana]

Lime-Herb Beurre Blanc


2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/2 cup fruity wine or sweet vermouth
3 tablespoons minced shallots
1 tablespoon grated lime zest
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut in slices
1 tablespoon thinly sliced basil or mint leaves or chopped chives
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
ground white pepper to taste

Combine the lime juice, wine or vermouth, shallots and zest in a nonreactive saucepan or skillet.
Cook over high heat until only 1 tablespoon of the liquid remains.
Remove from heat.
Immediately whisk in 2 slices of butter and whisk vigorously until it is incorporated.
Continue whisking in the butter a slice at a time until the sauce is emulsified.
Add the herb of your choice.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve hot.

This is great on poached salmon or grilled veal chops or with steamed lobster.

Serves 4.

[Zana]

Scuppernong or Muscadine Jelly

4 quarts scuppernong or Muscadine grapes
2 2/3 cups granulated sugar

• Wash grapes, mash and place in preserving pot with enough water to cover.
• Simmer for 20 minutes.
• Press out juice through a colander; then strain through cheesecloth.
• For one recipe of jelly use 4 cups of grape juice.
• Reserve the remaining juice in the refrigerator for a week or freeze for future use.
• Pour grape juice into preserving pot and boil for 5 minutes.
• While juice is boiling, warm the sugar in a 200 degree F oven.
• Pour sugar into juice and cook over medium heat until it reaches 220 degrees F on candy thermometer (about 25 minutes).
• Skim off foam.
• Add a few drops of yellow food coloring if using scuppernongs to give it a richer color.
• Pour into jars and refrigerate or freeze.

Yields 4 half pints.

[Zana]

Dijon Shallot Sauce

1 3 oz. package shallots, chopped
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/4 cup clam juice to serve with seafood or fat-free chicken broth to serve with chicken
1/2 bunch fresh dill weed, chopped

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Serve cold with chicken or seafood.

Yields 3/4 cup sauce.

[Zana]

Paprika Salad Dressing

1 cup mayonnaise
3 garlic cloves
2 tbsps. chili sauce
2 tbsps. catsup
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. mustard, dry or prepared
1 tsp. onion juice
1 tsp. worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. water
1/4 tsp. salt
1 lemon, juice of
2 dashes hot sauce
1/2 cup oil

Combine all ingredients except salad oil in container of electric blender, blend 5 seconds.

Add salad oil slowly, continuing blending, blend 5 seconds after adding oil.

Yields 2 cups.

[Zana]

Ginger Lime Vinaigrette

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons mirin
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 1 x 1 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and crushed through a garlic press with juices
1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 small garlic clove, mashed
1 tablespoon hot water
3/4 cup high quality extra-virgin olive oil
sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

• In a blender, purée the vinegar, mirin, lime juice, ginger, with its juice, Dijon mustard, and garlic.
• Process until smooth.
• Add the hot water.
• With the blender running, slowly add the olive oil in a steady stream until the dressing is smooth and thick.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Remove to a non-reactive container.
• Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

[Zana]

White Bean Gravy

1 cup lima beans, soak overnight, drained
1 1/2 cups water
1/4 butter
1/2 medium onion, diced
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons water
salt
freshly ground black pepper

In a saucepan, mix limas, water, butter and onion and bring to a boil.
After 20 minutes, test the beans for tenderness, if beans are not soft, cook
and additional 5 to 10 minutes.
Add more water if the beans look dry.
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cream, using a hand-held mixer
to puree the mixture or you can puree it in a blender or food processor.
Make a paste by mixing the cornstarch and water together. Add this to the
mixture in the pan over low heat, stirring until the gravy is thick.
Season with salt and pepper.

[Zana]

Foamy Orange Sauce

1/2 cup butter
1 cup icing sugar
1 egg, beaten
2 tbsps. orange juice
1 tsp. orange rind, finely grated

• Cream the butter, add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy.
• Beat in the egg.
• Very gradually add the orange juice, a drop at a time.
• Stir in the orange rind.
• Beat the sauce until light and fluffy.
• Serve immediately.


Yields about 1 1/2 cups.

[Zana]

Breausard's Tartar Sauce

Categories: Sauce, Condiment, Dixie, Southern, Cajun
Yield: 1 batch

INGREDIENTS
2 ea Green onion chopped
2 ea Sweet pickles chopped
1 ea Dill pickle chopped
1 ea Garlic clove minced
1/2 c green olives pitted & chopped
2 c Mayonnaise
1/4 ts Worcestershire sauce
1/4 ts Taco sauce
2 tb Fresh lemon juice

DIRECTIONS
Put green onion, sweet pickless & dill pickles, garlic, olives,
mayonnaise, Worcestershire, taco sauce & lemon juice into a food
processor.
Process briefly in pulses.
DO NOT puree.
Refrigerate for 2-5 hrs. prior to serving.

ORIGIN: Andie Breausard, Algiers-LA, circa 2008