September is National Condiment Month, and Chef Karen O'Connor (Daniel et Daniel) has got you covered.
O'Connor presented on condiments during Art of Catering Food (held in March in Orlando) with her session Top That! where she discussed the importance of condiments and how they can take a dish from good to great.
“This is your chance to take them up another level,” she said. “You can add another little hit of flavor, or color, or texture to finish your plate and make it brighter.”
Additionally, she shared a few tantalizing recipes. Check them out below!
Banana Ketchup
Yield: 2 cups, with a 14-day shelf life
Ingredients
2 T sunflower oil
½ cup yellow onion, ¼ dice
1 T ginger, minced
½ tsp ground turmeric
¼ tsp allspice, ground
2 tsp garlic, minced
1 ea. jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
1 T tomato paste 4 each banana, mashed
½ cup white wine vinegar
½ cup brown sugar
2 T soy sauce/tamari
2 T dark rum
Method
- Heat oil in small saucepan over medium heat.
- Add onions and cook until softened.
- Add ginger, turmeric, allspice, garlic, and jalapeno, cook for approximately one minute.
- Add tomato paste and cook until caramelized, approximately one to two minutes.
- Add mashed banana, vinegar, brown sugar, soy sauce, and rum. Simmer, stirring until occasionally thickened.
- Cool and refrigerate.
Green Charmoula Labneh
Yield: 3 cups, with a five-day shelf life
Ingredients
1 cup parsley
1 cup cilantro
2 ea. green onions/scallions
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp cumin, ground
½ tsp cinnamon, ground
1 tsp kosher salt 2
T red wine vinegar
2 cups Greek yogurt
1 ea. lemon
½ tsp chili flakes/red pepper flakes
Method
- Line a strainer with cheese cloth.
- Add Greek yogurt and let drain for an hour.
- Combine all other ingredients and pulse in a food processor until finely chopped.
- Mix into drained Greek yogurt. Check for seasoning.
- Cool and refrigerate.
Beet Jam
Yield: 3 cups
Ingredients
3 ea. beets, red
1 cup sugar, granulated
3 ml orange juice
Method
- Steam beets until cooked through; Dice small and evenly.
- Bring sugar and orange juice to a simmer and add beets. Cook until syrupy and sticky (35 minutes).
Scallion Ginger Relish
Yield: 3 cups
Ingredients
3 bunch green onions, scallions, sliced thin
½ cup ginger, minced
¼ cup oil, sesame
1 tsp oil, sesame
2 T soy sauce, tamari
2 T vinegar, rice wine
To taste salt
To taste pepper
Method
- Mix all ingredients together in a bowl.
Green Apple & Bacon Vinaigrette
Yield: 24 ea.
Ingredients
15 ml olive oil
225 g bacon, small dice
2 ea. green onions/scallions, sliced
2 ea. shallots, ¼ inch dice
60 ml apple cider vinegar
10 ml granulated sugar
10 ml dijon mustard
10 ml fresh thyme
1 ea. Granny Smith apples, peeled; ¼ inch dice
½ ml salt
To taste pepper
Method
- Heat the oil in a medium sauté pan over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until crispy. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and drain on a plate lined with paper towel.
- Turn the heat up under the pan slightly and add the shallots. Cook until softened.
- Add the vinegar and sugar, bring to a boil and cook until sugar is dissolved.
- Add the apples and turn the heat off.
- Add the mustard, thyme, bacon, and green onion. Stir to combine.
- Check for seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed.
Red Chimichuri
Yield: 2 cups
Ingredients
1½ ea. red pepper, roasted, peeled
2 ea. chipotle pepper
2 tsp garlic, chopped
¼ cup parsley
¼ cup red onion, chopped
¼ cup lemon juice
1 cup sunflower oil
To taste salt
To taste pepper
3 oz sundried tomato
Method
- Pulse all ingredients in a food processor until finely chopped but not pureed.
Wowee Mustard Sauce
Yield: 2 cups
Ingredients
8 oz crushed pineapple
½ cup red pepper jelly
3 T mustard, grainy
Method
- Place red pepper jelly in a small sauce pan.
- Once melted, whisk in pineapple and grainy mustard.
- Cool and serve.
Bonus recipes!
Chef Jason Sutton (Footers Catering) got in on the condiment talk during Art of Catering Food as well when he shared two condiment recipes to accompany his steak bites during his Beef & Reef session.
Gorgonzola Dipping Sauce (to accompany steak)
Yield: 28 fluid oz
Ingredients
2/3 oz garlic peel, fresh, jar
1 oz shallot, peeled, fresh, chopped
1 oz vinegar, balsamic, white
13 oz bag domestic blue cheese crumble
1 oz Mondo vino - chablis wine
1 oz lemon juice
1/16 oz ground cayenne pepper
16 oz heavy whipping cream, 36% esl
Method
- In a small sauce pot, sweat out sliced shallots and garlic.
- Deglaze with white wine until au sec (almost dry).
- Add lemon juice, white balsamic vinegar, cayenne pepper, and heavy cream, bring up to simmer.
- Add in blue cheese, whisk until incorporated. Adjust for seasonings. Strain sauce through a chinois, cool and place in walk-in.
Coffee Orange Marinade (to accompany short rib)
Yield: 28 fluid oz
Ingredients
16 oz Dazbog regular coffee
1 oz orange zest
5½ oz granulated sugar, extra fine cane
2 oz red wine vinegar, 50 grain
1 oz kosher salt
32 oz water
Method
- Zest orange and cut orange in half.
- Pour 32 oz of boiling water over top all the ingredients.
- Let marinade steep for 30 minutes then strain through a sieve.
