Sauces and condiments add flavour and flair to whatever you’re whipping up in the kitchen. Here are six sauces every cook should know.

Pesto

A basic pesto sauce is made with basil, garlic, pine nuts and parmesan cheese. Pine nuts can easily be swapped out for other nuts such as pistachio or walnuts. Blend ½ cup parmesan, ½ cup toasted nuts, two cloves of garlic, five ounces fresh basil, ¼ cup olive oil and ½ teaspoon of salt. In no time you’ll have fresh pesto to top pasta or spread on sandwiches.

Gremolata

 

Gremolata certainly sounds gourmet, but don’t let the name fool you, it’s an easy condiment to make. All you need is garlic, lemon, and parsley. Combine the zest of one lemon with ¼ cup of finely chopped parsley and three cloves of garlic, minced. Voila, you have gremolata to use with meat dishes, fish or over roasted vegetables.

Velouté

Velouté is a sauce made by combining a white roux (made with flour and butter) and a light-coloured stock such as chicken, fish, or vegetable. Velouté is one of the five mother sauces in classic cooking, meaning it is used as a base for a number of other sauces.

Chances are you already have some of the spices needed in your cupboard to make a simple red enchilada sauce. Flour, garlic powder, chili powder, vegetable oil and a few other easy to find things come together to a quick, delicious sauce with a little heat. Use this enchilada sauce recipe to make a dish outside of your normal weekly menu.

Aioli

Aioli is pretty much tangy, creamy and delicious garlic sauce. Aioli is traditionally made with garlic ground in a mortar and pestle then emulsified with olive oil. Nowadays people often think of garlic-flavored mayonnaise when they think of aioli. Traditional aioli is a bit labour intensive to say the least, but this recipe will help you make your own easy version in no time.

Pico de Gallo

Pico de Gallo, also known as salsa fresca, is made with tomatoes, onions, cilantro, jalapeños, salt, and a splash of lime juice. This is a great, simple condiment.  Pico de Gallo is perfect with chips, on top of salads, burgers or if you’re trying your hand at a simple Mexican dish like quesadillas.

Sources: Taste of Home, Food Network, The Spruce Eats, The Kitchn