Sriracha
Dijon mustard
Red wine vinegar
Thai fish sauce
Freshly grated cheese- Parmesan, Pecorino Romano, or Manchego
Anchovies or anchovy paste
(any of the above three can be used in place of salt)
Lemons! Meyers are the best
Fresh herbs, Thyme and flat-leaf parsley are my absolute faves
Freshly cracked pepper- obsessed with my Peugeot pepper mill
Garlic, pounded into a fine paste in a mortar & pestle
Fennel, fresh bulb and frond -or- dried seed, freshly ground
Pancetta, prosciutto or bacon
Shallots, shallots, shallots... Scallions are helpful too
Olive oil, the best quality you can afford
These are my secret weapons. I almost always have all of these things in my kitchen and can flavor just about anything like a champ, or add a layer of dimension to cooking even the simplest things. You can pretty much marinate, roast, dress or pan fry whatever proteins, veggies or greens you have with these items or combinations thereof. And of course, I'll show you what I mean!
So like say you have some sweet potatoes hanging around. Or a bag of brussels sprouts. Toss them (alone or together) in a bowl with olive oil, maple syrup, garlic, a shallot and some fennel. To be just a bit more indulgent, add some chopped pancetta or bacon. Pop those bad boys into a 400 degree oven for 30 mins. You will love yourself for doing so. Got some greens? You can probably make like 5-8 different vinaigrettes with the weapons. For example, here are 3: red wine vinegar, smashed garlic, olive oil, salt & pepper make an excellently simple dressing for red or green leaf lettuces... To that, you can add some maple syrup and dijon mustard for more depth and sweetness, for say, wild rocket or baby greens. Mix red wine vinegar, lemon juice 2 smashed cloves of garlic, a couple chopped anchovies, olive oil, an egg yolk and some grated parmesan? You've got like the most killer Caesar ever. And let me tell you what: home made croutons will change your life.
Some musings on my two favorite asian weapons. This past weekend I made a spring risotto for some vegetarian/pescetarian friends, which could have been pretty flat considering I had to substitute the deep salty chicken stock often used in cooking risottos, with vegetable stock. I used Thai fish sauce to get a bit of a bolder flavor.. and let me tell you it was deeeee-friggin-lish. Fish sauce is an incredibly under-used and under-valued condiment. Anchovies too, which are actually what thai fish sauce is made from, and is then fermented. It worked especially well with this dish, since I served the risotto with grilled shrimp, which themselves were marinated in a simple mixture of olive oil, fresh Meyer lemon juice, a chopped scallion and pepper. Sriracha, (bright red chili sauce with the bright green spout and the rooster on the bottle) is amazing on anything in a Vietnamese noodle bar, Pho, eggrolls, etc, but is actually the secret ingredient in my meatloaf, taking the place of ketchup. It is also super delicious in grill marinades, vegetable stir frys and on scrambled eggs and steamed broccoli.
A few last tips while I'm being a total food snob (but seriously, I am trying to help you!) Olive oils taste very different from each other, and cheap ones are often too strong... If you use a lot of olive oil it's seriously such a good idea to buy good quality, I mean it's only a few dollars more. Bragg's Organic Extra Virgin and Sur La Table's (from France) are my personal favorites, run about $15 /bottle, and a little goes a long way. Same kind of idea goes for maple syrup, which I seriously use so god damn much of I mean I am always slipping it into so much of what I make. Maple syrup and lemon juice are a winning combination. Heck, you can live off the stuff and nothing else for up to ten days! (Haha, see: the Master Cleanse). On the contrary, my very favorite Dijon mustard is $1.99 a jar, the Trader Joe's French Village Dijon, and it's actually imported from France. Even cheaper than that, if you live in Los Angeles, you know someone with a Meyer lemon tree. Trust me, you do. And then they're free.
Lastly, smashing garlic or dried spices in a mortar and pestle is the only way to go. And It feels really good to do it too.
