Beyond the bacon sandwich: the many uses of brown sauce

"Brown sauce is an absolute marvel, agrees Sabrina Ghayour, author of the recently published Persiana Easy, and not just for its cleaning prowess: If you break it down, the sauce is packed with some pretty interesting ingredients, including my beloved tamarind. It's worth exploring your bottle options beyond HP, too, not least because there was much controversy back in 2011 when the brand gave its recipe, which had remained unchanged for more than a century, a tweak."

"Otherwise, use it in place of tonkatsu sauce with anything crumbed or fried, such as a pork chop, he adds. The tangy, savoury nature of the stuff also works a dream with a hash, says Anna Tobias, chef-owner of Cafe Deco in London, which bottles its own brown sauce. I often do a hash after a Sunday roast, when you have a bit of leftover meat, cabbage and potatoes, she says. Fry them up, top with a fried egg."

Brown sauce contains tangy, savoury ingredients including tamarind and can serve cleaning and culinary roles. Soaking dirty coins overnight in brown sauce can restore shine. Brand recipes vary; a historic recipe tweak in 2011 reduced salt and altered flavour balance. A less-vinegary, sweeter variant such as Tiptree offers greater versatility. Culinary uses include bacon sandwiches, fried fish in a buttered roll, and as a substitute for tonkatsu sauce with crumbed or fried foods. Brown sauce complements a hash of leftover meat, cabbage and potatoes topped with a fried egg, and can replace apple sauce with roast pork.

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