The hallmark of the English county of Worcestershire is the eponymous sauce. It has such a multifaceted taste that the exact list of products that are included in it is still unknown. Although there are many replicas of this culinary masterpiece on sale, the county of Worcestershire keeps the original secret of cooking “with seven seals”. Housewives can only guess what can replace Worcester sauce.

Composition and cooking features

The sauce recipe has a 170-year history, and like many culinary discoveries, was mistakenly obtained by chemists Leah and Perris. During the recreation of the Indian recipe, a strange-tasting product was obtained, which they did not throw away, but left in the basement. When two years later they remembered him and decided to try it, they were surprised at a wonderful metamorphosis. They immediately began selling sweet and sour sauce, and he immediately won the love of the local population.

The exact composition of the ingredients of the sauce is a mystery, which leading culinary specialists have been struggling with for more than a decade. According to some sources, it includes about 20 products, according to others - about 40.

Famous ingredients:

  • onion;
  • shallot;
  • sugar;
  • salt;
  • anchovies;
  • molasses;
  • nutmeg;
  • curry;
  • ground black pepper;
  • ginger;
  • allspice;
  • garlic;
  • lemon juice;
  • water;
  • malt vinegar;
  • celery;
  • Bay leaf;
  • asafoetida;
  • Chile;
  • tarragon extract;
  • Indian date (aka tamarind);
  • horseradish;
  • gelatin gel (aspic).

It is possible that the list is incomplete. And the proportions of the preparation are kept secret. One thing is known - a prerequisite is the period of maturation of the sauce for 2 years.

How can I replace the original sauce

Worcestershire sauce is an essential component of many popular dishes (Caesar salad, Bloody Mary cocktail). It can give a special twist to almost any dish. It is added to meat, fish, vegetables, salads and even cereals.

It should be noted that a real Worcester is sold only under the Lea & Perrins brand, everything else is just a replica of the original. However, over 200 years, the chefs managed to recreate several good recipes that mimic the English marinade. Following them, you can prepare a home-made version of the world famous sauce, which will contain only natural ingredients.

Worcester marinade recipes

Even with all the necessary ingredients and knowledge of the required proportions, it is impossible to make the sauce at home. Products must undergo lengthy and complex fermentation, which can only be ensured in the factory. Below are the most successful Worcester marinade recipes that are worth adopting for housewives.

Worcester with wine

Some chefs claim that simply adding red wine to a dish can recreate some of the notes of the famous sauce. If you need to feel the taste of marinade in full, and there is no opportunity to buy a finished product, then you can prepare a worcester with wine according to the technology described below.

 

Ingredients Composition:

  • sugar - ½ tbsp. spoons;
  • garlic powder - 1 tbsp. a spoon;
  • Tabasco fish sauce - 40 g;
  • salt - a small pinch;
  • table vinegar - 50 ml;
  • red wine - 40 ml;
  • molasses - 1 tbsp. a spoon;
  • soy sauce - 20 ml;
  • a mixture of peppers - incomplete Art. a spoon;
  • lemon juice - 1 tbsp. a spoon.

Cooking method:

  1. Combine the dry ingredients in a mortar and grind them a little.
  2. Separately mix molasses with vinegar, alcohol and Tabasco. According to some fans of the Worcester, this one mix already resembles the smell of marinade.
  3. Pour the crushed products into the resulting flavor, season with lemon juice and soy sauce. Thoroughly mix the mixture and give it a little time to brew, then strain.

Unlike the original, homemade Worcestershire sauce does not need much time for fermentation.

Worcester

The following recipe for the Worcester marinade is closer to standard technology. However, it will take at least 1 week to cook it.

Ingredients Composition:

  • garlic - 2 cloves;
  • tamarind - 1 pc.;
  • mustard seeds - 3 tbsp. spoons;
  • anchovy - 1 pc.;
  • soy sauce - 20 ml;
  • vinegar - 40 ml;
  • shallot - 1 onion;
  • ginger - 1 ground root;
  • sugar - 100 g;
  • salt - at will;
  • cinnamon - 1 stick;
  • curry - 1 pinch;
  • cloves - 3-4 dried inflorescences;
  • allspice - 6-7 peas;
  • cardamom - 1 teaspoon with top;
  • ground red pepper - to taste;
  • water - optional.

In addition, dense gauze will be required to filter the marinade. If you can’t find one, any one will do, but you’ll have to put it in several layers. And also in advance you need to prepare glass dishes for storing the sauce. It must be tightly closed.

Cooking method:

  1. Pour shallots with vinegar for 10 minutes, then remove and chop. In this case, do not pour vinegar, it is still useful.
  2. Cut the garlic into slices or simply crush the flat side of the knife. Sprinkle lightly with vinegar.
  3. From a gauze, form a bag where to put shallots, garlic, cloves, peppers, mustard seeds, ginger, cinnamon and cardamom. Tie the resulting bag tightly.
  4. Mix the remaining vinegar with soy sauce in a saucepan, add sugar and add tamarind. If the mixture is not diluted, then it will turn out to be very concentrated and you will have to put it literally dropwise into the dishes. Therefore, cooks at this stage recommend adding water. Then the pot with the filling must be kept on low heat for at least 30 minutes.
  5. During this time, you can do the rest. To do this, in a separate bowl, mix the curry with salt, put the chopped anchovy, add water and let the mixture brew for half an hour. Then move it to the cooking broth and remove from the fire.
  6. Put the prepared bag with spices in a glass jar, pour it with broth and cover. The mixture should gradually cool at room temperature, after which it must be removed in a cool and dark place. Both a refrigerator and a cellar will do.

Before the sauce becomes suitable for use, it needs to spend at least 7 days in the cold. At the same time, every 24 hours a gauze bag must be wrung out so that the maximum number of aromas of spices penetrate the liquid. A week later, it can be removed, and the marinade itself, if desired, pour into small glass bottles. It must be stored in the cold.

Caesar Sauce

According to the classic recipe, Caesar salad must include Worcester sauce. However, many chefs depart from this rule and replace it with analogues, including cooked with their own hands.

Ingredients Composition:

  • boiled chicken egg (ideally poached) - 1 pc.;
  • anchovy - 2 pcs.;
  • mustard - ¼ teaspoon;
  • lemon juice - 40 ml;
  • olive oil - 3 tbsp. spoons;
  • balsamic vinegar - a couple of drops;
  • salt to taste;
  • Tabasco - 1 drop;
  • ground pepper - to taste;
  • Thai fish-flavored sauce - 4 drops.

If anchovies are not at hand, they can be replaced with spicy sprats.

Cooking method:

  1. Place a poached egg in a blender bowl, pour in lemon juice, tabasco, add mustard and beat with a kitchen appliance.
  2. Without stopping the blender, pour olive oil in portions. As a result, the mixture in appearance will begin to resemble mayonnaise.
  3. Finely chop the fish and add to the main components, then beat the sauce for a couple of minutes.
  4. As a finishing touch, introduce Thai sauce and vinegar, as well as optional favorite varieties of pepper and salt.

If Thai fish sauce is difficult to find, then you can replace it with an equivalent amount of Tabasco (i.e., it will ultimately require 5 drops).

Despite the secret technology of cooking Worcester sauce, its a good analogue can be done independently. In this case, no period of mandatory two-year "maturing" in the cellar is needed.

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