Bottled Sauces

Ketchups, catsups and British brown sauces should not be sneered at. They have a long and distinguished pedigree dating back to the sixteenth century and are very useful weapons in the kitchen armoury of flavours, where they can be used to good effect in stews and marinades. The ingredients hint at their Eastern origins, with exotic spices like cardamom and cloves in combination with vinegar, anchovies, molasses and sultanas to deliver a heady and complex taste. A tablespoon of a good-quality brown sauce, like HP, will do wonders for a beef stew. See also Worcestershire Sauce.