Worcestershire Sauce

01 Sunday Nov 2009

Posted by Bob and Robin in Condiments, Food, Food Trivia, Herbs, Interesting Information, Things To Do

Looks like it might have been a slow day in Boise. Not really! They were having a big debate on the Food Network today on the origin and uses of Worcestershire Sauce. Here, from Wikipedia, is some information. Some of this is not cited and may need citation.

Worcestershire Sauce

From Wikipedia,
Worcestershire sauce (pronounced WOOS-tər-sheer saws), is a fermented liquid condiment used for flavouring many cooked and uncooked dishes, especially with grilled or barbecued meats. It is also used as an ingredient in the preparation of cocktails and drinks.

First made at 68 Broad Street, Worcester, England, by two dispensing chemists, John Wheeley Lea and William Henry Perrins, the Lea & Perrins brand was commercialised in 1837 and has been produced in the current Midlands Road factory in Worcester since 16 October 1897. In 1930 the business was sold to HP Foods and was subsequently acquired by the Groupe Danone. It was purchased by H.J. Heinz Company in 2005 who continue to manufacture and market “The Original Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce”, under the name Lea & Perrins, Inc. Other companies manufacture similar products, often also called Worcester Sauce, and marketed under different brands.

Origins
A fermented fish sauce called garum was a staple of Greco-Roman cuisine and of the Mediterranean economy of the Roman Empire, and the use of some similar fermented anchovy sauces in Europe can be traced back to the 17th century. The Worcestershire variety became popular in the 1840s and is one of the many legacies of the British rule of the Indian sub continent. Several disputed theories exist concerning its exact discovery or invention by John Lea and William Perrins.

History
A widely reported legend has it that “Lord Marcus Sandys, ex-Governor of Bengal” (a figure unknown to history outside this tale) encountered it while in India under the Honourable East India Company in the 1830s, missed it on his return and commissioned the local apothecaries to recreate it. However, author Brian Keogh concluded in his privately published history of the Lea & Perrins firm on the 100th anniversary of the Midland Road plant, that “No Lord Sandys was ever governor of Bengal, or as far as any records show, ever in India.”

The Lord in question, whose identity was being discreetly veiled by Messrs Lea and Perrins (who used to aver on the bottle’s paper wrapping that the sauce came “from the recipe of a nobleman in the county”) was Arthur Moyses William Sandys, 2nd Baron Sandys (1792–1860) of Ombersley Court, Worcestershire, Lieutenant-General and politician, a member of the House of Commons at the time of the legend, whose given name is being confused in the tale with that of his brother and heir, Arthur Marcus Cecil Sandys, 3rd Baron Sandys (1798–1863), who did not succeed to the title, however, until 1860, when the sauce was already established on the British market. The barony in the Sandys family (pronounced “sands”) had been revived in 1802 for the second baron’s mother, Mary Sandys Hill, so at the date of the legend, in the 1830s, “Lord” Sandys was actually a Lady. No identifiable reference to her could possibly appear on a commercially bottled sauce without a serious breach of decorum. It is likely her heir agreed to sell the recipe.

A more accurate version that was published by Thomas Smith: We quote the following history of the well-known Worcester Sauce, as given in the World. The label shows it is prepared “from the recipe of a nobleman in the county.” The nobleman may be Lord Sandys. Many years ago, Mrs. Grey, author of The Gambler’s Wife and other novels, was on a visit at Ombersley Court, when Lady Sandys chanced to remark that she wished she could get some very good curry powder, which elicited from Mrs. Grey that she had in her desk an excellent recipe, which her uncle, Sir Charles, Chief Justice of India, had brought thence, and given her. Lady Sandys said that there were some clever chemists in Worcester, who perhaps might be able to make up the powder. Messrs. Lea and Perrins looked at the recipe, doubted if they could procure all the ingredients, but said they would do their best, and in due time forwarded a packet of the powder. Subsequently the happy thought struck someone in the business that the powder might, in solution, make a good sauce. The profits now amount to thousands of pounds a year.

Upon completing the necessary steps, however, the resulting product was found to be so strong that it was considered inedible, and a barrel of the sauce was exiled to the basement of Lea & Perrins’ premises. Looking to make space in the storage area a few years later, the chemists decided to try it once again, only to discover that the sauce had fermented and mellowed and was now quite palatable. In 1838 the first bottles of “Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce” were released to the general public.

An alternative story was published by historian and Herald for Wales, Major Francis Jones, 1908-1993, who attributed the introduction of the recipe to Captain Henry Lewis Edwardes 1788-1866. Edwardes, originally of Rhyd-y-gors, Carmarthenshire, was a veteran of the Napoleonic wars and held the position of Deputy-Lieutenant of Carmarthenshire. He is believed to have brought the recipe home after travels in India. The article does not say how the recipe found its way to Messrs Lea and Perrins. Messrs Lea and Perrins, being John Wheeley Lea (research and product development) and William Perrins (finance), from their building in Broad Street, Worcester, ran by far the most important and successful chemist and druggist business in the county. They made their fortunes from manufacturing and selling the sauce. They built a new factory with railway access in Midland Road, Worcester and made various charitable donations to the city such as Perrins Hall in a Worcester School.

Lea & Perrins Original Recipe
The ingredients of a traditional bottle of Worcestershire sauce sold in the United Kingdom under the name “The Original & Genuine Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce” are listed as malt vinegar (from barley), spirit vinegar, molasses, sugar, salt, anchovies, tamarind extract, onions, garlic, spice, and flavouring. Apart from distribution for its home market, Lea & Perrins also supplies this recipe in concentrate form to be bottled abroad.

Japanese Worcestershire sauce, often simply known as sōsu (“sauce”), or Usutā sōsu (“Worcester sauce”) is made from purees of fruits and vegetables such as apples and tomatoes, matured with sugar, salt, spices, starch and caramel. Despite this appellation, it bears only moderate resemblance to Western Worcestershire sauce. Sōsu comes in a variety of thickness, with the thicker sauces looking and tasting like a cross between the original Worcestershire sauce and HP sauce. There are many variations according to flavour and thickness, and are often named after the foods they are designed to go with, such as okonomiyaki sauce and tonkatsu sauce. These sauces, however, and others that are Worcestershire relatives are much closer in taste to American barbecue sauce. These variants have become a staple table sauce in Japan, particularly in homes and canteens, since the 1950s. It is used for dishes such as tonkatsu (breaded pork cutlets), okonomiyaki (savoury pancakes), takoyaki, yakisoba, yaki udon, sōsu katsudon and korokke.

Holbrooks worcestershire sauce from 1902
In Sheffield, England, Henderson’s Relish, very similar to Worcester sauce, is made and sold locally. This sauce is sold in the same size and shape of bottle as Lea and Perrins Worcester sauce and also has an orange label, which calls it ‘The Spicy Yorkshire Sauce’; it does not contain anchovies.

Lionel Brand (Australia) worcestershire sauce
In Australia the best-selling brand of Worcestershire sauce is Holbrooks , holding over half the market share in black sauce. Historically there were several different manufacturers of Worcestershire sauce in Australia, e.g. Lionel Brand from Taringa in Brisbane.

Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce in the USA differs slightly from the original British recipe. Its ingredients are listed as: vinegar, molasses, high fructose corn syrup, anchovies, water, onions, salt, garlic, tamarind concentrate, cloves, natural flavorings and chili pepper extract. The original British recipe uses malt vinegar while the American version uses distilled white vinegar, giving the British version a slightly deeper flavour. Also, the American version uses high fructose corn syrup while the original British recipe still uses sugar, giving the American version a somewhat sweeter and less spicy taste.

Vegetarian and gluten free alternatives are available and some Worcestershire sauce powders are marketed as suitable for vegetarians. The vegetarian variety omits the anchovies (notably Henderson’s Relish, which is similar, although not considered a variety of Worcestershire Sauce). ‘Life’ Worcester sauce, produced by MH Foods (Morehands Ltd), is also vegetarian. Both this and Lea & Perrins’ sauce are suitable for coeliacs. The actual ingredients may vary between countries, for example the Canadian version of Lea & Perrins’ sauce contains gluten in the form of malt vinegar from barley. Angostura also offers a fish-free sauce, but does not advertise it as “vegetarian”. The deluxe Worcestershire Sauce Powder produced by Nikken Foods contains no anchovies. Orthodox Jews refrain from eating fish and meat in the same dish, causing Worcestershire to be problematic, as many people are unaware that it contains anchovies. Certain brands that are certified to contain less than 1/60th of the fish product can be used with meat.

Dishes using Worcestershire sauce
Worcestershire sauce is often an ingredient of Caesar Salad and can be used as steak sauce.
Welsh rarebit is a combination of Caerphilly cheese, English mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and other ingredients, frequently eaten with bread, toast or crackers. A simpler version uses Worcestershire sauce with cheese on toast, with the sauce added to the plain version during the grilling process. Worcestershire sauce also plays a key role in the flavour of original recipe Chex Mix. In the U.K., advertising by Lea & Perrins has made Worcestershire Sauce popular for use on spaghetti bolognese, beans on toast, cheese on toast, chips (French fries), gravy and sausages. It is also frequently used in chili con carne, Bloody Mary cocktails, and in a cocktail known mostly to Canadians called a Caesar.

Worcestershire sauce, known as salsa inglesa (English sauce) in Spanish, is an essential ingredient of the popular Mexican beer cocktail, the Michelada. It is also used to flavour cheeseburgers and in Mexico, it is often used on pizza. The sauce it is nearly universally available as a condiment in steakhouses throughout North America, and is also sometimes used as a condiment for bacon and eggs, hamburgers, pork chops, chicken, and certain other meats and fish. Certain brands of crisps (potato chips), such as Walker’s (U.K.) sell Worcestershire sauce flavoured crisps.

Worcestershire sauce plays a significant part in the cuisine of Asian regions which have seen significant exposure to Western cuisine. In Cantonese cuisine, Worcestershire sauce was introduced in the 19th century via Hong Kong and is today used in dim sum items such as steamed beef meatballs and spring rolls. The Cantonese name for this sauce is “gip-jap” (Chinese; pinyin: jiézhī; Cantonese Yale: gip jāp). It is also used in a variety of Hong Kong-style Chinese and “Western” dishes.

In Shanghainese cuisine, the use of Worcestershire sauce spread from European-style restaurants in the 19th and 20th century to its use as an ingredient in ubiquitous, Eastern European-inspired dishes such as Shanghai-style borscht, and as a dipping sauce in Western fusion foods such as Shanghai-style breaded pork cutlets. It is also commonly used for Chinese foods such as the shengjian mantou, which are small, pan-fried pork buns. In Shanghai, Worcestershire sauce is called “la jiangyou” (Chinese: pinyin: làjiàngyóu; literally “spicy soy sauce”). After imported Worcestershire sauce became scarce in Shanghai after 1949, a variety of local brands appeared. These are now in turn exported around the world for use in Shanghai-style dishes. Lea & Perrins has in recent years established a plant in Guangdong, China, thus increasing availability of the original variety in China. However, it does not have a dominant market share compared to the native-grown varieties. In Thailand, the Lea & Perrins Original Worcestershire sauce on sale is, according to its label, imported directly from England.

Well there is some information that you were really waiting for! Cheers!

Annatto – What Is It?

01 Sunday Nov 2009

Posted by Bob and Robin in Condiments, Food Prep, Food Trivia, Herbs, Interesting Information

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Good question. Basically, it’s a spice used mainly in South America, but also in Mexico, the Caribbean and in cheese. Hmmmmm!

Annatto

Annatto, sometimes called Roucou, is a derivative of the achiote trees of tropical regions of the Americas, used to produce a red food coloring and also as a flavoring. Its scent is described as “slightly peppery with a hint of nutmeg” and flavor as “slightly sweet and peppery”.

Annatto is produced from the reddish pulp which surrounds the seed of the achiote (Bixa orellana L.). It is used in many cheeses (e.g., Cheddar, Red Leicester, and Brie), margarine, butter, rice, smoked fish, and custard powder.

Annatto is commonly found in Latin America and Caribbean cuisines as both a coloring agent and for flavoring. Central and South American natives use the seeds to make a body paint, and lipstick. For this reason, the achiote is sometimes called the lipstick-tree. Achiote originated in South America and has spread in popularity to many parts of Asia. The heart shaped fruits are brown or reddish brown at maturity, and are covered with short, stiff hairs. When fully mature, the fruits split open exposing the numerous dark red seeds. While the fruit itself is not edible, the orange-red pulp that covers the seed is used as a commercial food coloring and dye (similar to turmeric). The achiote dye is prepared by stirring the seeds in water.

History

Annatto has long been used by indigenous Caribbean and South American cultures. It is believed to originate in Brazil. It was probably not initially used as a food additive but for other reasons, such as body painting, to ward off evil, and as an insect repellent. The ancient Aztecs called it achiotl, and it was used for Mexican manuscript painting in the sixteenth century.

Uses

In Jamaica, annatto has had many uses over the centuries, including as a food dye, body paint, treatment for heartburn and stomach distress, sunscreen and insect repellent. In Venezuela, annatto (called locally onoto) is used in the preparation of hallacas, perico, and other traditional dishes. In Brazil, both annatto (the product) and the tree (Bixa orellana L.) are called urucum and the product itself may also be called colorau. In the Caribbean islands, both fruit and tree are popularly called achiote or bija (pronounced “bee-ha”) instead of Bixa. In the Philippines, it is called atsuete and is used as food coloring in traditional dishes. It is a major ingredient in the popular spice blend “Sazón” made by Goya Foods.

Cheddar cheese is often colored and even as early as 1860 the real reason for this was unclear: English cheesemaker Joseph Harding stated “to the cheese consumers of London who prefer an adulterated food to that which is pure I have to announce an improvement in the annatto with which they compel the cheesemakers to colour the cheese”.
One theory is that cheeses that were excessively fatty or rich turned a somewhat yellow color, and annatto was added to make cheaper cheeses appear to have more fat content, which would bring a higher price.

South India Lamb Curry

31 Saturday Oct 2009

Posted by Bob and Robin in Food Prep, Herbs, Lamb, Recipe By: Bob Young, Recipes, Things To Do

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At least, that’s what it started as. This recipe is adapted from the Food Network’s Tyler Florence. Southern India can have some really spicy, hot foods, more so than the New Delhi area. I changed that spicy hot to more or a medium to low intensity. Look at the recipe and where it calls for Red Pepper Flakes, change that to 1 Fresh Red Chili. Also, when steaming the basmati rice to serve with it, place 2 – 1″ rounds of fresh ginger in with water before adding the rice. The spices used are very traditional. Grinding them fresh adds another dimension to the curry that you will not get with commercially produced curry spice combinations. And finally, if you don’t want to use lamb, I have also had this with goat. Using beef would be truly a non-traditional curry, but it can be used. The recipe only looks involved – actually it is pretty easy to do. Cheers!

Indian Lamb Curry

Serves: 6

Ingredients:
¼ c Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1½ T Cloves
1½ T Cumin seed
1½ T Fennel seed
1½ T Coriander seed
1½ T Turmeric
1 Cinnamon stick
2 fresh Bay Leaves
10 fresh Curry Leaves
3 lbs Lamb, boned shoulder cut into 1” cubes
¼ t Red Pepper Flakes
2 med Onions, roughly chopped
5 cloves Garlic, peeled
2 T Ginger, fresh and minced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
5 lg fresh Tomatoes
½ c plain Yogurt, unsweetened natural
½ bunch fresh Cilantro, roughly chopped
1 Scallion, cut into strips
6 c steamed Basmati rice, steamed with 2 rounds of fresh ginger

Directions:
1). Begin by setting a large, heavy-based pot over medium heat. Grind the cloves, fennel, cumin, coriander, and turmeric in a spice grinder. Add oil to the hot pot and pour in the spices. Throw in cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, curry leaves, and chili. Toast for 2-3 minutes until golden and aromatic. While they are toasting, add onion, garlic and ginger to the food processor and pulse until finely chopped.

2). Season cubed lamb with salt and pepper then add to the pot of oil and spices. Brown all over, about 5-7 minutes. Add onion puree and sweat a little to remove some of the moisture – about 8 minutes. Stir with a wooden spoon as you go.

3). Add fresh tomatoes and cover slightly with lid. Reduce heat and simmer for 40 minutes until the lamb is tender. Remove the lid and skim fat off the surface. Fold in the yogurt and simmer for a further 5 minutes.

4). Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro and scallions serve with steamed Basmati rice.

Cooking Times:
Prep – 20 min
Cook – 52 min
Total – 1hr 12 min

Skewered and Grilled Indian Lamb Curry

18 Sunday Oct 2009

Posted by Bob and Robin in Food, Food Prep, Herbs, Lamb, Main Dish, Things To Do

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So here is yet another lamb curry recipe. However, this one is skewered and grilled. The grilling gives the lamb another dimension and worth trying. Yes, you really can grill all year – rain or shine; snow, sleet or sunny.

Skewered and Grilled Indian Lamb Curry

Ingredients:
¼ c Coriander seeds
2 T Cumin seeds
2 t Brown Mustard seeds
1 t Whole Black Peppercorns
2 t Bombay Indian Curry powder
2 t Turmeric
3 cloves Garlic, finely chopped
1-inch piece fresh ginger, finely grated
¼ c Canola oil
¼ White Wine Vinegar
1½ lbs Boneless Lamb Shoulder, cut into 1-inch dice
6-inch wooden skewers, soaked in cold water for 20 minutes
Kosher salt
Olive oil, for drizzling

Procedure:
1). Heat the grill to high. Combine the coriander, cumin, mustard seeds and black peppercorns in a small skillet on the grates of the grill and grill until lightly toasted, about 1½ minutes, stirring a few times; transfer to a coffee grinder and process until finely ground and place in a bowl. Add the ancho, turmeric, garlic, ginger, ¼ cup canola oil and vinegar and whisk until it forms a paste. If the mixture is too dry, add a few tablespoons of water to loosen it to a paste.

2). Place lamb in a large bowl, add the curry paste and toss to coat each piece of lamb. You can grill immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to 4 hours to allow the flavors to intensify.

3). Skewer 2 pieces of lamb onto 2 skewers so that the meat lays flat on the grill. Season both sides of the lamb with salt and grill until golden brown and slightly charred on both sides and cooked to medium-rare doneness, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Drizzle with olive oil and serve with Basamati steamed rice.

Robin’s Dinner

07 Friday Aug 2009

Posted by Bob and Robin in Food, Herbs, Main Dish

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Robin’s First Real Dinner after her surgery, was fun to make. No Chef Boy-R-D here! Starting at the top – Sliced Tomato with Basil, Rice and Peas and then Braised Scallops in a Mango-Peach Reduction. And to help smooth it out, homemade Sourdough Bread. I think better than Denny’s. Cheers!

Osso Buco – Lamb Shanks

26 Sunday Jul 2009

Posted by Bob and Robin in Food, Food Prep, Herbs, Recipe By: Bob Young, Wine and Food

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OK, so you say you like lamb and you don’t really know what to do with the shanks? (You could use pork for this, too.) Shanks are just a big hunk of fat and bone? Not exactly if your butcher has cut the leg correctly. Look here for a recipe for Lamb Shanks – Osso Buco. This recipe is a little Middle Eastern and Italian; A blend of the two. It does take a while to prepare: 30 minutes plus for the prep and 2-3 hours at a low simmer to cook. But well worth the wait. Serve with a good red wine (Dusted Valley [WA] Cabernet Sauvignon is suggested) and a mix of steamed Green Beans and Yellow Wax Beans. The preparation has a multitude of other things in it including tomatoes, onion, fennel bulb and herbs and spices. Try it and let us know how you like it. Cheers!

Texas Tarragon

15 Friday May 2009

Posted by Bob and Robin in Food, Herbs, Spring Plants

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That’s right! Texas Tarragon! I never heard of it until I went to Zamzows a while ago. I think Jerri was asking me about tarragon. This is a very potent variety with some really pretty yellow flowers. The plants are from Bonnie Plants. Texas Tarragon, Tagetes lucida, likes ordinary, well drained soil that is kept evenly moist and fertilized on a regular basis. I sampled a leaf at Zamzows and it really is a potent tarragon with a lingering spicyness. If you like tarragon, this might be worth a trip to Zamzows, or wherever Bonnie Plants are sold, and get a plant or two. Cheers!