What is in Worcester sauce, how is it eaten? What useful properties does the fill have, are there any contraindications to its use? History of creation and other details about Worcester sauce. Recipes for dishes using it.
Worcestershire sauce is a very spicy condiment with a salty sweet flavor. It has a rather bright vinegar smell, so it is always added to dishes in small quantities. It is actively used in English cuisine, mainly for the preparation of marinades for meat delicacies. Worcester is part of the popular Caesar salad and goes well with salads, creamy soups and even seafood dishes. If you like the sauce, you can even eat it with bread or breadcrumbs.
Composition and calorie content of Worcester sauce
The standard composition of Worcester sauce contains more than 10 components, the main ones are
- table vinegar;
- granulated sugar;
- culinary tomato paste;
- anchovies;
- curry powder.
Also, for the preparation of Worcester, chefs use several types of peppers, mushrooms, lemon juice, walnuts and various seasonings at their discretion.
There are a lot of recipes for Worcester sauce, but not everyone can cook in a home kitchen - such cooking takes a lot of time and requires the chef to have special culinary skills. In addition, it is not always possible to buy all the ingredients for its preparation.
The calorie content of Worcester sauce per 100 g is 78 kcal, of which:
- Protein - 1 g;
- Fat - 0.1 g;
- Carbohydrates - 18.5 g;
- Dietary fiber - 0 g;
- Water - 0 g.
The ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates: 1: 0, 1:18, 5.
Vitamins in 100 g of Worcester sauce:
- Vitamin A - 5 mcg;
- Retinol - 1 mcg;
- Alpha Carotene - 1 mcg;
- Beta Carotene - 43 mcg;
- Beta Cryptoxanthin - 3 mcg;
- Lutein + Zeaxanthin - 48 mcg;
- Vitamin E - 0.08 mg;
- Vitamin K - 1 mcg;
- Vitamin C - 13 mg;
- Vitamin B1 - 0.07 mg;
- Vitamin B2 - 0.13 mg;
- Vitamin B9 - 8 mcg;
- Vitamin PP - 0.7 mg;
- Vitamin B4 - 2.7 mg.
Macronutrients in 100 g of product:
- Potassium, K - 800 mg;
- Calcium, Ca - 107 mg;
- Magnesium, Mg - 13 mg;
- Sodium, Na - 980 mg;
- Phosphorus, P - 60 mg.
Trace elements in 100 g of sauce
- Iron, Fe - 5.3 mg;
- Copper, Cu - 0.2 mg;
- Selenium, Se - 0.5 μg;
- Zinc, Zn - 0.19 mg.
Interesting! The sauce got its name in honor of the city in which it was first prepared - Worcester (England).
Health benefits of Worcester sauce
The benefits of Worcester sauce for human health are undeniable - the product is rich in vitamins and minerals, therefore it has a general healing effect on the body. In addition, the regular use of Worcester leads to an improvement in the condition of the internal organs of a person and his appearance.
The main medicinal properties of Worcester sauce:
- Strengthens the immune system, optimizes the functioning of the nervous system - this is due to the presence of vitamin B6 in the sauce (it is found in large quantities in garlic and chili peppers).
- Prevents the occurrence of problems with the cardiovascular system - the seasoning is a natural antioxidant, because it is rich in vitamin C.
- Strengthens the musculoskeletal system - the product contains a large amount of niacinic acid from anchovies.
- Optimizes thought processes - thanks to thiamine, which is present in onions and chili peppers.
- Reduces the volume of bleeding in women during menstruation - vitamin K takes part in this process.
Interesting! Worcester sauce is a part of the popular all over the world cocktail called "Bloody Mary".
Contraindications and harm of Worcester sauce
The harm of Worcester sauce is due to the high percentage of sugar in the product. If you consume the seasoning in large quantities, you can get better. Also, sugar often provokes the development of various diseases of the internal organs of a person. Sweetness is especially detrimental to the organs of the circulatory system.
Refuse the product should be people with individual intolerance to its individual components. Therefore, before using a sauce purchased in a store, carefully read its composition!
How to make Worcestershire sauce?
Worcester sauce can be purchased at many local grocery stores. Otherwise, you can always order it online. However, if you are allergic to some of the ingredients in a store product, or if you don't like the taste of Worcestershire sauce, make your own using the ingredients that work best for you. The total cooking time is approximately 15-20 minutes.
Here's how to make Worcestershire sauce quickly and without spending too much money on the many ingredients:
- For the sauce, select a medium-sized saucepan.
- Connect 0.5 tbsp. apple cider vinegar with 2 tbsp. l. soy sauce.
- Pour 1 tbsp into the resulting mass. l. sugar (preferably brown so that the sauce takes on the desired color).
- Mix the ingredients thoroughly and add a pinch of cinnamon, black pepper, ground ginger root, mustard powder, chopped onion and garlic to them.
- Pour 2 tbsp into the concentrate. l. water.
- Bring the resulting mass to a boil, remembering to stir regularly.
- Boil the sauce for 1-2 minutes and turn off the stove. The gravy is ready!
On a note! If you don't have time to make your own Worcester sauce, buy one at the store. Do not pay attention to the fact that your dish only needs a few grams of the product, and it is sold only in a large container - a Worcester in an unopened package can be stored for 2 to 3 years, and in a sealed one - for decades. At home, in an open bottle, Worcester sauce is best stored in a cool place, such as in the refrigerator. Always shake the bottle before using the product.
Worcester sauce recipes
Worcester can replace soy or fish sauce, so it can be safely added to dishes served with these types of fillings. A few of the simpler recipes using Worcester sauce:
- Meat salad … Fry 100 g of chicken breast until golden brown. Add a special dressing called "Caesar" to the meat. To do this, beat 1 chicken egg with 1 tsp. dijon mustard. Add 1 clove of garlic, a few teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce (to your taste), a couple of drops of lemon juice, and 4 dried anchovies to the sauce. Whisk all the ingredients again and, without stopping the blender, add 150 g of olive oil and 40 g of grated Parmesan to the sauce. Place on a platter 200 g romano salad, diced chicken and pour over the prepared sauce. Garnish the salad with a few slices of Parmesan and sprinkle with breadcrumbs, for example. The salad is ready, bon appetit!
- Marinated beef … First, prepare the base of the marinade - combine 80 ml of soy sauce with 60 ml of Worcestershire. Then add 1 tsp to the resulting mass. collecting Italian herbs for making marinade. Finely chop half a medium bunch of parsley and chop 5 cloves of garlic as small as possible. Add the chopped ingredients to the marinade as well. Now cut 1 kg of beef crumb into small cubes. Pour the cooked sauce over the meat and leave to marinate for a few hours (4 to 24). It is preferable to leave the meat in the refrigerator. Fry the meat soaked in the sauce in a hot skillet with olive oil. Serve the dish warm!
- Pumpkin Ginger Soup … Prepare 500 g of fresh pumpkin for making soup - peel it of seeds and peel. Peel and 1 sweet potato (tuber plant). Chop the prepared ingredients into large pieces. Wash, peel and chop 2 medium carrots into large circles. Chop 1 bunch of cilantro. Finely chop half of the ginger root (pre-peeled). Crush 7 cloves of garlic with the side of the knife blade. Chop 1 red onion finely. Place all ingredients in a common baking dish. Season everything with coriander, 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce, a few drops of olive and 70 g of butter. Season the food with salt and pepper, then mix everything thoroughly with your hands. Place the mold in the oven for 25 minutes. Please note that the pumpkin may burn a little to the bottom of the mold. To prevent this from happening, add some water to the pan after 10 minutes of baking. Monitor the condition of the pumpkin. When it is covered with a small crust, the oven can be turned off. Gently transfer the steamed vegetables to a large saucepan. Pour water into the pot so that it completely covers the contents. Simmer the ingredients for 3-4 minutes. When the pumpkin is soft, turn off the stove. Grind the mixture a little to get the consistency of a creamy soup. Please note that you do not need to achieve too homogeneous mass, while taking the soup, you should feel the individual pieces of its constituent ingredients. Salt the finished soup and add pepper to your taste. If your soup is too thin, simmer it over low heat. Serve warm and garnished with fresh cilantro sprigs.
Worcester Sauce Drink Recipes
Worcester is one of the few culinary sauces that can be used simultaneously for preparing meat dishes and delicious cocktails. Introducing two of the world's simplest and most popular spiced Worcester sauce drinks:
- "Bloody Mary" … You will need a shaker to make this popular drink. Pour 10 ml of lemon juice, 120 ml of tomato juice and 50 ml of your favorite vodka into the shake mixer. Now it's time to season the future drink with sauces: pour 1 ml of Tabasco (red) and the same amount of Worcestershire sauce into a shaker. Season with a pinch of live celery salt and ground pepper. Add 380 g of ice cubes to a shaker and whisk well. Pour the finished cocktail into portioned glasses and garnish with a celery branch.
- "Dead head" … To prepare this drink, you do not need a shaker or other special bartender accessories. The main thing is to pour the ingredients into a regular glass in the correct sequence. First, pour 1 tsp into it. lemon juice, then add 3 g of Worcestershire sauce. Next, add another sauce - 2 ml of tabasco. Season with salt and pepper. Ready!
Interesting facts about Worcester sauce
For the first time, Worcester sauce was prepared in India. The world managed to learn its recipe in the 19th century, when, along with other Indian spices, it fell into the hands of the Lord of Bengal, Marcus Sandy.
The honorary gentleman saw the sauce dry. It was a powder consisting of a set of spices. Then the lord agreed with familiar chemists to prepare a liquid mixture from an overseas product, because traders from India provided him with a complete list of the powder's constituent components.
The chemists doubted that they would be able to fulfill the request of the lord. The difficulty in preparing the sauce was the too extensive list of ingredients - specialists had to find about 25 types of products, most of which were considered scarce or completely unknown in America.
Despite the difficulties, the Worcester sauce was still made. The result of the specialists did not please the Lord - the filling smelled like fish and had a pronounced taste of vinegar. The unfortunate chefs left their creation in a barrel locked up in the basement.
Historians find it difficult to answer the question - intentionally or accidentally, the sauce was left in the basement. However, 2 years after its preparation, the chefs looked into the barrel and were very surprised - the vinegar-fish product did not disappear, but became tastier and more aromatic. Having tasted the filling, the experts decided that it was necessary to improve the composition and resume its preparation.
How to make Worcestershire sauce - watch the video:
Worcester sauce is an exquisite sauce for soups, meats and salads. It can even be added to drinks. The product is quite useful and can harm human health only if consumed in excessive doses.
