secret weapon ingredients

[Jon Savage]

6ppc,

how do you smoke your peppers? (i assume there's also a drying process?) please do tell.

I just wait until I have a couple pounds of ripe Cayenne in the garden-

They go into my smoker (an offset cheap char broil model) for as long as it takes for the peppers to dry. I usually just use lump mesquite charcoal but have used oak flooring scraps as well. I usually do this while smoking a roast or the like.

This takes several hours @ 150 degrees.

Once the peppers are dry I grind them using an old coffee grinder.

Same process works well for habaneros or jalapenos as well although they need to be split prior to smoking.

Edited March 19, 2007 by 6ppc (log)

[Eilen]

Sherry vinegar, I'm beginning to like it more than red wine vinegar, especially with chicken or in a chickpea/veg stew.

Anchovies.

Smoked paprika, I just used this in a rub last night and my friend said what the heck did you do to this turkey it's delicious.

[DCP]

My 'secret' ingredients aren't so secret, since I believe most of them have been mentioned up-thread. In no particular order:

Curry powder, hot paprika (not smoked - clearly I need to go shopping), sriracha, fish sauce, Worcestershire sauce, sesame oil, unusual vinegars (like muscat, champagne, or rice), mirin, shichimi togarashi, miso paste, Thai red/yellow/green curry pastes, garam masala, five-spice powder, star anise, onion powder, vanilla paste, etc.

Seems like anything off the beaten culinary path of most palates makes it easy to impress - those flavors standard to non-American cuisines taste exotic. Thanks to other posters for some ideas about other ingredients to try!

[mollybloom1109]

For me it is Cavenders Greek Seasoning...on meats, eggs, burgers and yes it has MSG but my grandfather used it by the tub and lived to be just a little under 90 years old.....

[srhcb]

I use a lot of freshly grated nutmeg, not only in baked goods, but also with root vegetables.

Since I personally don't like a strong cinnamon taste, I substitute Penzeys Baking Spice, which is partially cinnamon but has a broader and milder flavor.

Recently I discovered Minors Vegetable Bases. It's a commercial product, and I think the 16 oz containers are the smallest size? A little goes a looooong ways.

SB

Edited March 21, 2007 by srhcb (log)

[chefAZ]

Maldon Sea Salt! and of course Pimenton.

[Maliaty]

Pomegranate molasses. Great tang and sweetness. Adds to any braise or even stir fry noodles.

Cheers

Maliaty

[deltadoc]

Minor's Green Peppercorn Concentrate.

doc

[IlCuoco]

I don't know as they're "secret" per se but....

-Home-made demi (or semi-demi), it's like instant sauce or sauce base

-Flavored vinegar/sherry vinegar for back flavors (for example, I use honey infused vinegar when making honey mustard sauce)

-Ketchup - I make many a sauce with that is a nice shortcut. In fact, I make a molasses glaze for pork chops that uses it and folks love it.

-Rice vinegar - just a touch of acidity when needed

-dark chocolate or coffee (as others have pointed out)

-shallots for onions when looking for a more subtle flavor

-Citrus zest (again, others have mentioned it already)

-Anchovies

-Worcestershire sauce

-Thai chili paste

-Adobo sauce from a can of chipotles

-Garam Marsala

-Love

I would say though that the biggest "secret" ingredient is quality. Good stuff just tastes better, esp. when there's only one or two front flavors or when preparation is simple. the difference between high quality beef, chocolate, etc and the lesser stuff is VERY noticeable, mostly in its absence.

[Carlovski]

Probably just repeating what other people have said but

Worcestershire sauce - perfect if you are lacking the right amount of meaty richness.

Mushroom ketchup - often used interchangably with the above.

Sherry vinegar - A splash can lift a stew without making it at all acidic.

Sugar - heresy to some, but perfectly normal in some cusines, helps to fix an overly acidic dish - especially handy with not very good tomatoes.

Not a secret at all, but a squeeze of lemon can really add a lot to a dish.