Add brown sugar to make sour and tart sauces more mild tasting.
When making a tomato sauce or mustard sauce, often times the acid from the tomatoes or the spicy flavor from the mustard can be too strong for your palate. To soften them and make them more enjoyable, add brown sugar. Adding just a small amount of sugar can cut the harshness of the flavors. If you add a large amount of brown sugar, the sauce will become more mild but may also be too sweet. Keep your tomato and mustard sauces mild and savory by putting in some brown sugar to balance the ingredients.
Instructions
Simple Tomato Sauce
1. Pour a 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes into a large saucepan over low heat.
2. Add an 8 oz. can of tomato paste.
3. Measure in 2 tsp. each of dried oregano, basil and thyme into the sauce pan. Mix all the ingredients together to combine.
4. Add 2 tbsp. of brown sugar. Dark brown sugar will add a stronger caramel taste than light brown sugar. Mix the ingredients again.
5. Allow the sauce to cook over low heat, stirring occasionally for 30 minutes. Taste the sauce. Add more sugar if the sauce seems too tart. Season with salt and pepper.
Mustard Sauce
6. Melt 2 tbsp. of unsalted butter in a medium sauce pan over low to medium heat.
7. Add 2 tbsp. of flour and stir it into the butter until completely combined. Let the mixture froth for a couple of minutes until it turns a light hazelnut color.
8. Whisking constantly add 1/2 cup of whole milk and 1/2 cup of dry white wine. Continue stirring until the mixture begins to thicken.
9. Measure 2 to 4 tbsp. of whole-grain mustard into the sauce and mix to combine.
10. Allow the sauce to simmer for 10 to 15 minutes to allow the alcohol from the wine to evaporate. Add 2 tsp. of light brown sugar, 1/2 tsp. of salt and pepper and ground nutmeg to taste. Mix the sauce again to combine the ingredients. Cover and let sit for 1 to 2 minutes to thicken more.
Tags: brown sugar, brown sugar, Allow sauce, into sauce, light brown, light brown sugar