When it comes to sauces, flavour is the key to popularity
/Consumers are no longer wanting the heavy, stock-based sauces of the past – and chefs are responding accordingly by focusing on lighter versions, which focus on extracting as much flavour as possible out of fresh ingredients like fruits and vegetables to create vibrant contemporary stylings.
CLAIRE VAN VUUREN
That’s the word from Claire Van Vuuren, chef/owner of Bloodwood Restaurant & Bar in Sydney’s Newtown, who adds that enthocultural influences are also coming to the fore.
“I think we’re seeing a lot of deep diving into different culture’s cuisines for inspiration,” Claire says. “It might be Turkish, Middle Eastern – there are a lot of moles popping up on menus, it’s not just herbs, lemon juice and vinegar anymore. I think customers are wanting something more distinctively flavoursome, which makes it an exciting time for sauces and chefs’ creativity.”
“Remoulades are coming back into fashion – and you can pair them with pretty much anything”
Expanding upon this theme, Claire says: “You’re researching, experimenting - Everyone’s looking for a simple protein as the hero of the dish, which makes the sauce the hero right now. So instead of just lemon, the chef might use a Meyer lemon [a hybrid fruit native to China which is a cross between a citron and a mandarin].
“These kinds of choices enable you to get a slight edge on your competition in terms of flavour and depth and also keep the customers guessing about your ingredients.”
Claire recommends avoiding the heavy, meat-based sauces of old. “That doesn’t mean you need to throw away your cookbooks – there are some old classics from the 1980s and 1990s re-emerging. Remoulades are coming back into fashion – and you can pair them with pretty much anything, as long as you get the balance right.
Bloodwood’s Fried cauliflower, labne and spiced whey dressing w cashew and curry leaf
“A good example of reworking a traditional sauce is our smoked red capsicum chimichurri at Bloodwood”
“I also think the days of not understanding that fruit can be paired with savoury is long gone. So we’re seeing some really deep dives into culture and backgrounds and chefs drilling their kitchen teams to see who’s got great family recipes that you can extract and manipulate.
“A good example of reworking a traditional sauce is our smoked red capsicum chimichurri at Bloodwood – we char all the onions and garlic, blacken it up and out of that we make a light based sauce but one with some body and depth. Using products like that on menus can really give a lift to dishes.
“We also make our own variations on tzatziki – for example I’ll do a roasted garlic tzatziki yoghurt which we serve in place of sour cream. I’ll also try to use byproducts of existing ingredients in sauces – for example whey, which is we blend with spices to make a sour vinaigrette. I’ve even seen people put whey into espresso martinis to give them an extra depth and a nice complexity – if you have a restaurant with a bar attached like ours, obviously you can cross-use products, such as infusing your lemon rinds to make limoncello and so own.”
Tapping into deep cultural roots
Claire is also focused upon innovating sauces for the dessert category, moving away from dairy creams to plant-based products so she can serve them to a wider customer base. “There are some terrific new products on the market that mimic cream and butter really well – especially for caramels, you can achieve results with some terrific products which are completely vegan much more easily than in the past.
“I think with sauces the key is to tap into deep cultural roots – do your research and then extract flavour through vegies, and be creative with the vinegars and acids you use. Every chef loves a lacto-fermentation – we add a bit of fermented pickle juice into our chicken, it’s just delicious and gives dishes a little lift.”
Influences from native Australian ingredients
GARY JOHNSON
Chef Gary Johnson echoes Claire’s point, emphasising that traditional flavours are being reimagined as consumer preferences continue to evolve. “There’s going to be a stronger focus on fermentation as we head into the winter months – a lot of our summer fruits and vegies will be beginning to pickle and ferment, and when you add influences from native Australian ingredients, I think those tastes are going to overtake traditional flavours.”
Gary cites as an example a native pepper bearnaise, lemon myrtle aioli or native herb chimichurri using saltbush in place of parsley. “There’s some really exciting trends coming through with these bolds flavours and a little fusion cuisine – most of the professionals who are developing these combos are pretty clever at being able to use traditional processes and methods while adding a little something extra that’s unique to Australia.”
“Even simple ingredients like brown sugar, celebrated for its rich flavour complexity, can add depth and subtle sweetness”
He says Filipino and Southeast Asian flavours are becoming more popular – “especially with some of the slow-cooked items like Pork Adobo, which is a braised Filipino pork dish, we’re seeing use of native Australian ingredients.
“Even simple ingredients like brown sugar, which is celebrated for its rich flavour complexity, can add depth and subtle sweetness to balance acidity, saltiness and spiciness – it enhances those umami flavours that we enjoy so much. I’m also seeing a resurgence of tarragon, which is a classic French herb that went on the back burner for a while but is now coming back. It has licorice/aniseed flavour notes that go really well with seafood dishes, especially where you want some aromatic quality, and it’s great for enhancing bearnaises and egg-based sauces.”
Increased use of condiments
Gary predicts the increased use of condiments like hot honey and chilli crisp (diced chilli, chilli-infused honey and vinegar) used on red meats, poultry and as pizza garnishing. “Some of these hot honey glazes are coming through on fried foods for winter, as well as enhancing our snacks and complementing some of those complex entrees.”
Another popular addition to sauces is smoky gochujang – “this is a Korean capsicum chilli paste which is really great in barbecue style sauces and to accompany Korean or Asian style dishes,” Gary says. “You can keep it in the freezer and it’s terrific to always have on hand.”
The minimal prep required is a big selling point: “You can use them just as they are, or you can enhance with additional ingredients – for example, with Cream of Cauliflower you just add water and a little cream, but you could also garnish with some additional fresh cauliflower to finish it off. The margins are very strong on these – you can have them sitting in a bain marie in a small café or at a service station, and that aroma is going to bring the customers in.”
“You can still have a little cream in your sauce, you just need to look for those healthier options”
He adds that even with growing consumer demand for healthier meal choices, there’s still a place for indulgence on the menu. “I think, for example, you can still have a little cream in your sauce, you just need to look for those healthier options. For example Dairy Farmers Culinary Cream from Bega Foodservice contains only 18 per cent fat as opposed to the regular 36 per cent fat – so look for products like this which you can use in your dishes. There are lots of low sodium options available as well.” Consumer awareness of food sustainability is also on the rise, impacting customer preferences accordingly, and Gary says it’s wise to choose ingredients with this in mind.
Asked to name some of his favourite sauces on contemporary menus, Gary says “Black garlic and miso butter sauce is delicious with seafood, and smoked eggplant and yoghurt is another winner – that’s a Middle Eastern style cold sauce which is delicious with grilled meats and veg, a baba ganoush style.
“Ginger and camarão reductions can produce a slightly tangy sauce with citrus notes which is ideal drizzled over grilled fish, or tofu and roasted pumpkin. There’s also native wattleseed mole, which is perfect to serve with Filipino or Mexican style dishes – you can make this with some native wattleseed, dried chilli and cocoa and it’s a great complement to slow-cooked meats, roasted vegies or Tacos.”
On the cold sauce front, Gary recommends finger lime or coconut nam jim which is a Thai-style dripping sauce to accompany crispy fried seafood or grilled chicken. “And I suppose for the vegans you might use fermented cashew and turmeric dressing – which is great to put over grain bowls or wraps and delicious in a slaw. It’s a creamy, probiotic-rich vegan sauce with the added benefit of anti-inflammatory properties.”
