Jens Linder: Sauce is the best way to develop in the kitchen

In a piece for Dagens Nyheter, food writer Jens Linder champions the humble sauce as the ultimate tool for any aspiring home cook. He argues that mastering sauces is not merely about adding flavor but is fundamental to developing a deeper understanding of cooking and significantly enhancing the dining experience.

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If you want to develop in the kitchen, I would advise you to start with sauces.

Linder points out that while countries like France, Italy, and Spain have a long tradition of serving sauces with cooked vegetables as a distinct dish, this practice is less widespread in Sweden. He encourages Swedes to embrace this culinary approach, suggesting it offers a delightful way to begin a meal and appreciate seasonal produce.

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In Sweden, the custom of serving cooked vegetables with sauce as a separate dish is not as widespread as, for example, in France, Italy, and Spain.

The process of making sauces, Linder explains, is an excellent training ground for the palate. It involves careful tasting and adjustment – balancing salt, acidity, fat, and dominant flavors to achieve harmony. This iterative process, he contends, makes one a more intuitive and skilled cook. Even simple cold sauces based on mayonnaise, sour cream, or yogurt offer ample room for improvisation and learning.

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Many sauces are relatively simple to make – and easy to adjust during the process. Furthermore, you train yourself in tasting through the process.