Brown Tamarind Sauce
Brown Tamarind Sauce
Brown Tamarind Sauce
The classic recipe is thought to have been devised back in the 1800s, but now there are numerous variants.
Tart, spicy and rich, its ingredients often include tomatoes, dates, molasses, apples, tamarind, chillis and
vinegar.
The most popular – and the original – is HP Sauce. Its recipe was developed by Frederick Gibson Garton in
the 1890s and it got the name HP Sauce as it was rumoured to have been used in a restaurant at the Houses
of Parliament (an image of which still adorns the bottle today). He later sold the brand and recipe for just
£150.
The best Brown Sauce Recipe
We prefer a fruity brown sauce with a brighter, less heavy flavour and sweet, but tangy notes. Even HP
recognised the potential for a fruitier version when it launched HP Fruity Sauce. But unlike its version, our
recipe eschews orange and mango for classic ingredients.
We use a base of tamarind pulp and dates with onion and sweet-and-sour apples. It's lifted by the rich notes
of treacle and the sharpness of vinegar.
Method:
1. Put the tamarind pulp into a medium saucepan. Add all the
other ingredients, plus 150 ml of cold water. Mix everything
together well.
2. Bring to the boil, then cover with a piece of baking parchment
and leave to cook on a gentle simmer for one hour, until softened.
3. Allow the sauce to cool for 30 minutes, before putting it into a
blender or food processor, and blend until smooth. And rub
through
a sieve if necessary.
4. Pour into sterilised jars and boil them as usually.
5. The sauce will keep for up to two months, but once opened, keep
it
in the fridge.
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