Onion Gravy with Sausages and Mash

Onion gravy leads here. Sausages, peas and mash are a welcome side.

This onion gravy is the most commonly made gravy by me.  The gravy doesn't need juices from a Sunday roast, instead it's made in a pan from plenty of finely sliced onion, salted and piled up.  A little oil, low heat and flip the onion until all are golden brown and caramelised.

Then beef stock (I use part of a knorr simmered beef stock pot).  Dijon mustard, water or vegetable stock and thicken with a slurry of cornflour and dark ale or mild stout.

The gravy should be glossy and, for me, bubble like a little volcano when ready.

Tip: freeze any leftover gravy, ready to help a future batch.

Nduja Burrata Mezzelune with a Vodka Cream Sauce

Spicy and red for February 14th.

Penne alla vodka is a retro Italian classic.  I like classics, they're there for a reason (meaning good).  I had bought this n'duja burrata filled pasta and thought it might pair well with a tomato and cream, vodka sauce.  If you can't find this particular filled pasta, we still have a great sauce.  N'duja is a spicy, Calabrian (southern Italian) meat paste and Burrata is a creamy mozzarella type cheese.  Cullinary Yang and Yin in pasta parcels (I thought fitting for today).

A rich tomato sauce (more later) with onion, carrot, basil and celery.  I also add a cheeky piece of parmesan rind to the sauce, scraped of wax.

Then, we mash or blend the cooked sauce and simmer it with chilli and vodka.  Finally, add cream or crème fraiche and parmesan.

Finish your partly cooked pasta of choice in the sauce.

Burns Night Whiskey Sauce

I stand a little against whiskey sauce (for Haggis).  Many whiskey sauces have a lot of cream and whilst cream is good, too much is bland for me (and fatty on the mouth feel). A little rethink was in order.

Mine is a cheerfully light brown onion gravy that meets a little cream and a splash of whiskey.

A first effort had 'too much' whiskey, even by my standards, and was promptly declared, 'not something Marcus Wareing (professional Masterchef Judge) would approve of.

So I refined the recipe, perhaps distilled it even and it's just smashing.  No claims of authenticity here, only a sauce to happily scoff.

Parsley Sauce

This came up in conversation yesterday, I was asked how to serve gammon without a maple glaze. 

Parsley sauce sprung to mind, it's always good with gammon. My gammon is usually a whole piece, smeared in mustard, studded with clove and glazed with clementine and orange marmalade.

White Wine, Lemon and Caper Sauce.

A simple and different 'gravy' for roast chicken.

There's shallot, white wine, lemon, stock, parsley and capers.

(You can also freeze it and mix a little into a classic brown gravy).

Romsås

 Romsås: The Classic Swedish Sauce for Seafood Lovers

If you love Scandinavian seafood culture, this is one sauce you need to know. Romsås is the cold, creamy Swedish condiment that quietly appears beside smoked salmon, pickled herring and crayfish and not only elevates them but steals the show.

Nam Prik

 🔥 NAM PRIK – THE THAI-LAO SAUCE PEOPLE CARRY LIKE HOLY FIRE

Nam Prik literally means chilli water.

You can steal a Thai person’s heart, affection or motorbike — but steal their nam prik and it’s WAR. This is not a condiment, it’s ancestral fire, portable umami lightning, carried everywhere from street markets to the office to temple picnics. I've even seen them bring it along to traditional French restaurants.

Thais call it nam prik, Lao call it jeow — but the idea is the same:

Aïoli

 🧄 Authentic Catalan Alioli (Aïoli) — Garlic & Oil Magic

In Catalonia, it’s not aïoli. It’s alioli — literally “all i oli”: garlic and oil, the purest Mediterranean emulsion. No mustard, no shortcuts. Just tradition.

This version is the modern Catalan one — using egg yolk for stability (the ultra-orthodox version is garlic + oil only, but your wrist would die). The acidity comes from lemon juice (llevat, as some Catalans still call it).

Thai Sweet Chilli Sauce

This is a great recipe to whip up on demand. Super easy and comes with 'home made' bragging rights.

The story of mayonnaise

 The Remarkable Journey of Mayonnaise — From Mahón to Tokyo to the Belgian Frituur

Few condiments have conquered the world as silently and universally as mayonnaise. Today it’s in burgers, sushi, tapas and Michelin-level sauces — yet its birth was an accident of war.