Three Ingredients That Instantly Make Any Sauce Better
A dip can be a meal, an appetizer, and even a party theme . Dip is the perfect food, and dipping things in the dip and then putting them in your mouth is the perfect food delivery system. Push-ups don’t have to be difficult; regular sour cream can be a sauce, especially if you eat it with fragrant chips. But there are three ingredients that can turn any sauce into the centerpiece of your party (even if it’s a one-person party).
A year or two ago, people stopped liking dairy because of Alison Roman Labne’s sizzling green onion and chili sauce . As a labne lover, I understood the excitement around this dip; any labne-based sauce is sure to be a hit. But what made Roman’s sauce different was the inclusion of three things: a drop of fragrant oil, a small amount of fresh herbs, and a crunchy filling on top. Top off your sauce with these ingredients and yours is guaranteed to be a hit, too, even if the underlying milk base is fairly simple (Roman had just a mixture of labne and lemon juice).
Drizzle your sauce with fat
The fat is the taste, but the drop of oil is also very attractive. “Come, spin a carrot through me,” he beckons. “Come splash in my unctuous depths and let me comfort you. Come, live deliciously.
High quality olive oil, pistachio oil, walnut oil, sesame oil, and of course chili oil (which also adds a crunchy flavor) are all incredible options. Place the dip in a bowl, use the back of a spoon to make some swirling craters, then drizzle your choice of delicious butter over the creamy creation and oh and oh the seductive beauty of it all.
Add some fresh herbs
Sauces are creamy and rich, which is good, but all that fat can saturate the flavor, which can lead you to eat less sauce, which is bad. A handful of chopped fresh herbs will tempt your guests (and yourself) to eat more sauce, offering your tongue a green boost of respite. Parsley and chives are versatile, and cilantro works most, but don’t overlook thyme, chervil, tarragon, lemon balm, and/or basil.
Finish with crunchy things
In many cases, you can count on the scoop to bring some textural contrast to the dip experience, but not always. In any case, textural contrast is hard to overdo, so you might as well decorate your sauce with crunchy and crunchy things, just to keep anyone from getting bored in the mouth.
Roasted garlic (of which you can buy a large tub) is my favorite crunchy staple, but I also love minced or french-fried onions or shallots . Toasted nuts are another option. You can also use crunchy seasonings like coarse or flaky salt. Use sumac for a more subtle effect, or be frank and opt for a combination of fried onions, nuts, and seasonings. I bet you can guess which route I usually take. (I’ve been called many things, but thin isn’t one of them.)