Worcestershire sauce– a wonderful additive based on natural ingredients that is ideal for meat and some other dishes. You can find out where it came from, what it consists of and how to prepare it from the article.
Worcestershire sauce has a sweet and sour, slightly spicy taste. The color of the additive is dark brown, quite liquid in consistency.
The composition of the sauce may seem strange at first glance, because it contains products that, in theory, should not be combined with each other. But they are what make the taste so rich and interesting.
The classic version of the sauce includes approximately the following components:
- garlic;
- celery;
- ginger;
- nutmeg;
- anchovies;
- shallot;
- horseradish;
- aspic;
- salt;
- molasses;
- curry;
- Bay leaf;
- tamarind;
- black pepper;
- asafoetida;
- water;
- Chile;
- lemon juice.
But this is far from full list and not entirely accurate, because the real recipe is unknown to anyone except the manufacturers themselves.
Just a few drops of this additive will be enough to enhance the taste and significantly improve the aroma of the dish.
History of appearance
The first mention of the sauce appeared 170 years ago. Upon returning to England, Lord Sandy considered that the country had very bland dishes and hired two apothecaries to make the seasoning, and he already had a written down recipe.
Unfortunately, the result greatly disappointed everyone; the banks were put away and forgotten about for several years. And after this time, we conducted the tasting again and were pleasantly surprised at how tasty the sauce was.
It is believed that its recipe is still secret, and it takes three years and three months to prepare real Worcestershire sauce.
What dishes does it go with?
In general, this sauce is ideal for the famous Caesar salad, and must also be added to the original Bloody Mary cocktail. Without this seasoning, dishes simply lose their charm and unique taste.
But since English cuisine cannot boast of variety and piquancy, the sauce began to be added to other products. It is added to almost all meat dishes, such as roast beef, steak or stew.
It is great for fish marinades, various appetizers and even sandwiches. Can't do without it vegetable salads and casseroles, because this is a wonderful alternative to harmful mayonnaise or sour cream.
In addition, the sauce does not interrupt the taste of the product itself, it only emphasizes it favorably. Most often, very little is added, since the seasoning is very concentrated and is used together with soy sauce, Tabasco, olive oil and other spices.
What can you replace the sauce with?
Now you can find Worcestershire sauce in almost any supermarket, and its price is not too high. If you want to try it according to the original recipe, then look for a manufacturer called Lea&Perrins.
And if it is not possible to purchase and cook at home due to the lack of certain ingredients, which, by the way, are very exotic, then many, of course, are interested in what can replace the sauce.
Unfortunately, it is impossible to find a complete analogue of this seasoning; its taste is too unique.
Instead of sauce, balsamic vinegar, a mixture of vinegars with seafood and suitable seasonings are usually used.
How to make classic Worcestershire sauce
If you are not intimidated by the huge list of ingredients for this spicy and unusual sauce, then you can try making a pretty good alternative.
Please immediately note that this recipe is only as close as possible to the original, but it will still not taste exactly the same. For getting exact copy you will need special conditions, a lot of time and oak barrels, so it is better to prepare Worcestershire sauce in a simplified version.
Full list of products
To get started, stock up on everything you need:
- sea salt;
- 100 grams of sugar;
- half a cinnamon stick;
- two cloves of garlic;
- 125 milliliters of water;
- one small spoon each of black peppercorns and ground;
- 0.5 liters of vinegar 9%;
- one medium-sized onion;
- half a glass of soy sauce;
- one small ginger root;
- a small spoon of clove flower buds;
- two large spoons of tamarind paste;
- one anchovy;
- half a spoon of curry and cardamom;
- a quarter spoon of red pepper.
Cooking technology
- Peel the onion, rinse and pour the specified amount of vinegar, leave for half an hour to marinate and only then cut into cubes.
- Chop the garlic in any convenient way, and also lightly sprinkle with vinegar.
- Prepare a gauze bag and place onion, garlic and all the spices from the list except curry in it. Tie tightly so that nothing falls out of the bag.
- Pour vinegar into a deep pan, add sugar, tamarind paste, soy sauce and mix the resulting mixture very thoroughly, then place it on the stove and turn on the heat level on high.
- Place the bag of spices in this mass, and as soon as the contents begin to boil, turn the heat to minimum and cook everything for about 45 minutes.
- Chop the anchovy very finely, mix with salt, curry and water. We’ll put all this into the pan after the required cooking time has elapsed and immediately remove the container from the heat.
- We pour what we get into a suitable glass jar, not forgetting to put a bag of spices in there and carefully cover the container.
- After the future sauce has cooled completely, move it to the refrigerator.
- There the jar will have to stand for two weeks, and every day you will need to take the bag out of it, squeeze it out, mix the contents and close it again.
- After fourteen days the sauce will be ready. We remove the bag and throw it away; it is no longer needed. And pour the resulting seasoning into small plastic bottles or jars. It is desirable that the containers are not transparent, but darkened.
Worcestershire sauce is an English seasoning made from fish, vinegar and sugar. It has a sweet and sour, spicy and unique taste.
The sauce was named after the county of Worcestershire (England), where it was first created almost two centuries ago.
The dish is considered the most famous and mysterious seasoning. Its authentic recipe, down to its subtleties, is known only to British producers. But exactly what components Worcestershire sauce includes has not been a secret for a long time.
Worcestershire sauce ingredients
The sauce is made from more than 25 ingredients. In addition to vinegar, sugar and water, it should contain:
- anchovies;
- onions and shallots;
- ginger and celery;
- horseradish and garlic;
- asafoetida and tamarind;
- lemon juice and nutmeg.
And this is only half of the sauce components.
Even if you use all the ingredients, the original taste is unlikely to be replicated. After all, real Worcestershire sauce must mature in special oak barrels. And only three years later it is bottled and supplied to supermarkets and restaurants.
The sauce is popular in many countries around the world. It is very concentrated, which makes it economical to use. Sometimes a few drops are enough to decorate and transform the taste of a dish.
What dishes are decorated with Worcestershire sauce?
A complex bouquet of ingredients allows Worcestershire sauce to be ideally combined with a variety of foods. The seasoning is most often used for ready-made meat dishes: pork and chicken chops, beef tenderloin, shashlik, pork chops. The sauce is poured over pasta, pancakes, dumplings, casseroles, and vegetable stews.
The sauce is ideal for fish dishes. In combination with them, the sweet and sour taste of English seasoning is perfectly revealed.
Caesar salad and alcoholic drink Bloody Marys are also incomplete without Worcestershire sauce. It is the most important ingredient in these dishes, making them especially tasty and piquant. Worcestershire sauce makes Bloody Mary irresistible.
Preparing a replacement for Worcestershire sauce
Culinary experts have come up with several recipes that closely resemble the taste of Worcestershire sauce and successfully replace it. Here are some of them:
Recipe 1
You will need:
- bulb;
- 2 garlic cloves;
- a piece of ginger root;
- 3 tbsp. l. French mustard;
- a pinch of cloves;
- 50 g sugar;
- 2 tbsp. l. salt and the same amount of vinegar;
- one anchovy;
- half a tsp. hot pepper, curry, cardamom;
- one tsp. soy sauce;
- tamarind - a quarter cup.
Let's prepare it like this:
- Using a blender, chop the onion, garlic and ginger.
- Add mustard, cloves, cardamom and hot pepper to the resulting mixture. Mix the ingredients again to make a puree.
- Place the contents of the blender in a gauze bag and tie it securely.
- Pour half a glass of water into a small deep saucepan and bring it to a boil.
- Add tamarind, soy sauce, sugar and vinegar to the boiling liquid.
- Place a gauze bag in a saucepan.
- Reduce the heat to low and leave the contents of the saucepan for half an hour.
- Mix anchovy, curry and salt.
- Add to the saucepan and bring to a boil.
- Pour the sauce into a glass container. Place the bag of spices there too. Place the dishes in the refrigerator for two weeks.
- Every day we squeeze out the contents of the gauze bag. Mix the sauce.
- After the specified time, squeeze the bag one last time and remove it. Strain the sauce and pour into bottles.
Video recipe for the occasion:
Store the seasoning in the refrigerator.
Recipe 2
This method of preparing sauce, which will replace Worcestershire, is somewhat simpler because it involves the use of fewer ingredients.
You will need:
- half a liter of vinegar;
- shallots – 2 heads;
- 2 garlic cloves;
- anchovies (1-2 fish);
- 35 g soy sauce;
- 50 g of ketchup and the same amount of walnuts;
- salt.
Let's prepare it like this:
- Finely chop the onion and garlic.
- Grind the anchovies and nuts.
- Combine all ingredients and place in a container with a tight-fitting lid.
- Leave in the refrigerator for two weeks.
- Shake the contents of the container daily.
- After 14 days, filter the sauce and use it for its intended purpose.
Recipe 3
Required components:
- 1/2 cup vinegar (preferably apple cider vinegar);
- 40 g of clean cool water, the same amount of soy sauce;
- a quarter tsp each powdered onion, garlic mustard;
- quarter tsp ginger (grated);
- on the tip of the knife - salt and cinnamon.
Prepare the sauce like this:
- Mix all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
- Cook on low heat for half an hour.
- Set aside the saucepan to allow the sauce to cool completely.
- Pour the seasoning into dark glass bottles and store in the refrigerator.
- The sauce can be used 10–12 days after it has cooled completely.
How to replace Worcestershire sauce in Caesar salad
A proper Caesar must be seasoned with Worcestershire sauce. But it is not always used. A worthy replacement can be made from the following ingredients:
- one egg;
- 3 tbsp. l. olive oil;
- 4 drops of Thai fish sauce and 1 – Tabasco;
- anchovies (2 fish);
- balsamic vinegar and mustard - a quarter tsp;
- 40 g fresh lemon juice;
- salt and pepper.
Let's prepare a substitute for Worcestershire sauce:
- Boil the poached egg. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a bowl.
- Gently beat (preferably with a blender) together with mustard, lemon juice and Tabasco. Olive oil add a little to the mixture until you get a mayonnaise consistency.
- Finely chop the anchovies. They can be replaced with spicy salted sprat.
- Pour the fish into the whipped dressing and run the blender for another minute or two.
- Add Thai sauce and balsamic vinegar to the flavorful mixture. Add salt and pepper.
Worcestershire sauce is produced by several foreign companies. The original version of the seasoning is made by Lea & Perrins. All other manufacturers offer only their own variations of the sauce.
To prepare the seasoning yourself, you will need a significant assortment of products and step-by-step instruction. The sauce, like most British dishes, requires that all stages of its production be followed with precision, including cooking and aging.
Ready-made sauces are an absolute evil, there is no doubt about that. Mayonnaise, tartar, ketchup can be prepared at home, and it will be healthier and tastier. But there are also sauces, the preparation of which industrially is not only possible, but at least justified - such as soy, fish, oyster sauce or Worcestershire sauce, which will be discussed today.
Worcestershire sauce came to us from England, where it continues to be produced to this day, and the English pharmacists who created it, Lee and Perrins, in turn, were inspired by recipes from India, which at that time belonged to the British crown. The classic composition of the sauce includes several types of vinegar, molasses, sugar, tamarind extract, onions, garlic and spices, the exact composition of which is kept secret. This sauce is slightly lighter than soy sauce, and its taste and aroma are delicate enough not to interrupt the taste of the product, but to emphasize it - after all, Worcestershire sauce is mainly used not as a sauce in the usual sense for most of us, but as a liquid seasoning. Therefore, it makes sense to clarify why we, who have never heard of any Worcester, need some kind of overseas liquid.
So, what is Worcestershire sauce used for? Primarily - to season meat dishes, such as steaks, or as a component of other sauces and salad dressings. Worcestershire sauce is included in the recipes of many classic dishes, the most famous of which is Caesar salad (it was Worcestershire that was in the original recipe, but adding anchovies to Caesar instead was invented later and it is not clear why), as well as cocktails. For example, in our country “Bloody Mary” is often made without Worcestershire, but in a decent bar they will definitely add this sauce.
Otherwise, when using Worcestershire sauce, the main thing is moderation: a few drops are enough to give the dish a special aroma and enhance the taste, and we don’t need more from this sauce.
Now - the practical side of the issue. Worcestershire sauce is now sold in most large supermarkets, is not very expensive, and can be stored in the refrigerator for quite a long time, so it is, so to speak, an investment for years to come. Of all the brands that you may come across, it is better to give preference to the same pharmacists “Lea and Perrins” - the old horse, even if bought by the Heinz concern, will not spoil the furrows. It’s best to avoid Heintsevsky sauce itself - it doesn’t look a bit like the real thing.
PS: Worcestershire sauce, as you already understood, is sometimes called simply “Worcestershire”, and sometimes called Worcestershire. The name comes from the English county of Worcestershire. Those who know English language, without a hint, they will most likely read this word as “Worchestershire”, and this is also what this sauce is sometimes called. Only this is wrong.
Why make the most complex Worcestershire sauce recipe at home? Firstly, because it is not always available in stores, secondly, because it is expensive, thirdly, because it is simply interesting.
Surely you have heard the name of this English sauce at least once. You may have even tried the sauce in dishes, because you can find it in stores. And if they didn’t find it or found it too expensive for themselves, they refused to prepare any dishes. And there are many such dishes, because the sauce with a slight taste of slightly rotten fish is the king of glazes and marinades for meat, especially when it comes to grilling or barbecuing. By the way, it is Worcestershire sauce that is included in the Bloody Mary cocktail, turning the mixture tomato juice with vodka into a drink whose taste will be remembered for a lifetime. And it was he, Worcestershire sauce, who turned out to be an accidental participant in culinary improvisation, as a result of which he was born.
If you ask what you can replace Worcestershire sauce with, I will answer firmly: nothing. Think for yourself, more than 15 ingredients! And the cooking process is absolutely breathtaking!! If you prepare the sauce according to all the rules (which English chefs are silent about because the recipe is a trade secret), you will have to mix anchovies marinated in brine, soybeans, molasses (black molasses), tamarind (date variety), garlic soaked in vinegar , chili, cloves, cardamom, shallots, sugar and a few more spices. You will then age this mixture for 2 years, or 700 days, after which, stirring occasionally, strain and bottle. Like? That's what I'm talking about.
What do you want the impatient and thrifty to do (the sauce is quite expensive)? Making Worcestershire sauce at home - that's it! Of course, you won’t be able to get an authentic one, but it will be very close in taste – very much so. The main condition is to infuse it thoroughly if possible. As for the ingredients, after cooking I want to give you the following tips: it’s better to take shallots, marinate anchovies (if you’re lucky enough to buy fresh ones - I wasn’t lucky), for example, or buy Italian ones in a spicy marinade at the store, and instead of burnt ones you can use.
Worcestershire sauce has a very strong taste and unique aroma. This makes it less of a sauce and more of a spice, a seasoning, an accent. It is enough to add just a little sauce to the dish, give it a Worcestershire “accent” - and it will be transformed.
Preparation time: 20 minutes plus 3-4 weeks for infusion
Finished product yield: about 300 ml
Ingredients
- white or red wine vinegar 1 cup
- burning liquid 50 ml
- soy sauce 50 ml
- sugar 50 grams
- lime juice 25 ml
- anchovies 2 fillets
- hot pepper 1 pod
- 1 small root fresh ginger
- garlic 1 clove
- cinnamon 1 stick
- onion half head
- yellow/white mustard seeds 1.5 tbsp. spoons
- salt 1.5 tbsp. spoons
- black peppercorns 0.5 tbsp. spoons
- cloves 0.5 tbsp. spoons
- curry seasoning 0.25 tbsp. spoons
- cardamom 3 boxes
Preparation
Big photos Small photos
Crush the cardamom pods in a mortar. Inside you will see seeds - they contain the main aroma.
Add salt, mustard, curry, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and black peppercorns to a small saucepan.
Finely chop the garlic, cut the onion into small cubes, and cut the hot pepper into rings without removing the seeds.
Grate the ginger root on a fine grater—it will take 1 teaspoon when grated.
Squeeze the juice from the lime.
Finely chop the anchovy fillets.
Place the garlic, onion, pepper, ginger and lime juice in a saucepan with the spices. Drain the lime juice, burnt juice and soy sauce there.
Then add vinegar there.
Place the saucepan on the fire and bring the mixture to a boil. Cook Worcestershire sauce for 10 minutes from boiling.
At the same time, melt the sugar and cook a simple caramel, which you also add to the sauce.
Cook the sauce for another 5 minutes.
After this, pour the sauce into a glass jar and refrigerate for 3-4 weeks. Shake the sauce container thoroughly 1-2 times a week.
When the sauce has infused, strain it through a fine sieve.
Store the finished sauce in the refrigerator for 6 months.
Worcestershire, Worcestershire, Worcestershire - all these are the names of a popular sweet and sour sauce created in Great Britain in the 30s of the 19th century, thanks to a recipe brought from India by Lord Sandys. Today, Worcestershire sauce is produced by world-famous brand companies, such as Heinz, Cajun Power, Lea & Perrins and French's. You can buy ready-made sauce or its analogues in supermarkets such as Auchan or Azbuka Vkusa (Price: 350-500 rubles . in the cities of Moscow, Astana, Minsk, Kiev, etc.).An alternative is homemade aromatic sauce, the best analogue of the store-bought one! So, we bring to your attention several recipes for Worcestershire sauce. We also reveal the secret of what you can replace it with.
How to make classic Worcestershire sauce at home: recipe with photos
Traditional Worcestershire sauce contains many ingredients. It is very important to carefully observe the proportions of the products and not deviate one step from the requirements specified in the instructions.
Required ingredients:
- white onion - 1 piece
- shallots - 4 heads
- garlic - 2 cloves
- tamarind - 0.25 tbsp
- sardellas or anchovies - 1 pc.
- grated ginger - 3 tsp
- allspice peas - 3 tsp
- ground black pepper - 1/2 tsp
- curry - 1/2 tsp
- aspic - 1 tsp
- bay leaf - 3-5 pcs
- nutmeg - 1 tsp
- chili pepper - 4 pcs
- sugar - 100 gr
- malt sauce - 125 ml
- water - 110 ml
- salt - 3 tbsp
- lemon juice - 3 tbsp
- horseradish - 1 piece
- celery (root) - 1 pc.
- tarragon - 1/2 tsp
- asafoetida - 20 gr
- black molasses (molasses) or burnt sugar - 5 tbsp
Step-by-step instruction
- Dip the peeled onion into the vinegar solution and leave there for 10-15 minutes. Then finely chop and combine with chopped garlic and shallots.
- Place the garlic and onion mixture in a gauze bag. Add all the peppers, ginger and powder nutmeg. Tie it well so that the contents do not fall out.
- Pour malt sauce and lemon juice into a saucepan, add tamarind, sugar and black molasses. Add a little water and put on medium heat. Warm up for half an hour.
- Separately combine curry, chopped anchovy and remaining ingredients. Lightly add salt and pour into the main sauce. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Place the gauze bag in a glass jar. Pour the hot sauce in there and close the lid tightly. Cool well and then refrigerate for a week. Wring out the bag daily.
- After 7-8 days, remove the bag, strain the finished sauce, pour into small bottles and store in a cool, well-ventilated place.
Worcestershire sauce: recipe from Hector Jimenez-Bravo
The famous chef and popular TV presenter offers a simpler version of Worcestershire sauce and advises preparing it this way at home.
Required ingredients:
- white onion - 1 piece
- ginger root - 30 g
- garlic - 3 cloves
- anchovies - 1-2 pcs
- mustard beans - 3 tbsp
- curry - 10 g
- black peppercorns - 15 gr
- ground cinnamon - 10 g
- salt - 3 tbsp
- cayenne pepper - 10 gr
- cardamom - 0.5 tsp
- vinegar - 2 tbsp
- cloves - 1 tsp
- sugar - 4 tbsp
- soy sauce - 125 ml
- tamarind - 1/4 tbsp
- water - 10 ml
Step-by-step instruction
- Peel the onion, soak for 30 minutes in vinegar and water, then finely chop. Pass the garlic through a crusher.
- Fold sterile gauze in several layers. Place onions, garlic, peppers, mustard seeds, cloves, ginger, cardamom and cinnamon on top. Carefully pack the ingredients and bandage them so that they do not fall out.
- Pour soy sauce, vinegar and water into a fireproof container. Add tamarind, sugar and put on fire. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook over low heat for about half an hour.
- Then add anchovies, salt, water and curry to the pan. Boil for 1-2 minutes, remove from heat and cool.
- Place the bag of spices in a glass vessel and pour the hot sauce into it. Seal with a plastic lid and put in the refrigerator. Squeeze the bag once a day and mix the liquid well.
- After a week, remove the spices, strain the finished product, pour into bottles and serve with meat and fish dishes.
What is simple Worcestershire sauce: recipe with photo
Some progressive chefs have slightly changed the composition of traditional Worcestershire sauce, adapting it to modern life and home cooking.
Required ingredients:
- brown vinegar - 500 ml
- shallots - 2 heads
- garlic - 2 cloves
- anchovies - 2 tbsp
- finely crushed Walnut- 3 tbsp
- spicy ketchup - 3 tbsp
- soy sauce - 2 tbsp
Step-by-step instruction
- Rinse the shallots, dry them, finely chop them and place them in an enamel pan.
- First add salt, garlic, nuts and chopped anchovies. Then pour in soy sauce, ketchup and vinegar and mix everything very well.
- Transfer the semi-finished product into a glass jar, close the lid tightly and leave in the refrigerator for at least two weeks. A necessary condition is to thoroughly shake the mixture twice a day, but do not open it.
- After the expiration date, strain and pour into small bottles.
How to replace Worcestershire sauce: analog version
Not all stores sell the products used to make Worcestershire sauce. The recipe includes a lot of items that are unusual for Slavic cuisine. Culinary experts suggest replacing exotic foods with simpler and more familiar products.
Required ingredients:
- onion - 1 piece
- sprat - 2 pieces
- garlic - 3 cloves
- table vinegar - 2 tbsp
- soy sauce - 150 ml
- granulated sugar - 100 gr
- water - 2 tbsp
- tomato paste - 2 tbsp
- cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, red pepper - 1/2 tsp each
Step-by-step instruction
- Peel the onion, chop it and marinate in vinegar for half an hour.
- Then mix with chopped garlic, spices and salt. Place in a linen bag and tie.
- Pour vinegar, water and soy sauce into a saucepan, add sugar and stir. Place on a burner over medium heat and cook for 23-25 minutes. When the mass thickens, add tomato paste and remove from the stove after 10 minutes.
- Finely chop the sprat fillet and mix with salt. Add to sauce base and bring to a boil.
- Pour the hot thick mixture into a glass jar, where there is already a bag of onions and spices, close the lid and put it in the refrigerator. Every day for a week, squeeze out the bag and shake the sauce.
- After 7 days, strain, pour into small containers and store in a cool place.
Now you are privy to the secret recipes for Worcestershire sauce, and you also know what to replace it with.
