How to use a hand blender for sauces: 4 easy recipes to try

Did you know Braun hand blenders can do most food preparation tasks apart from blending, like chopping the hardest ingredients, frothing milk, and even crushing ice? 

Yes, with the wide range of accessories, you have a multi-functional assistant that will quicken food preparation and make cooking more enjoyable. 

Here we share 4 easy recipes of basic sauces that you will be making repeatedly because they can go with many foods – Breakfast items, to-go sandwiches, meat, seafood, and dessert.

1. Home-made mayonnaise

Skip buying supermarket mayonnaise when making mayonnaise is so easy with a hand blender and a few everyday ingredients. Choose how creamy you would like your mayonnaise to be or the kind of oil you wish to use. A healthier alternative to store-bought mayonnaise is this wholesome mayonnaise that is free of preservatives and additives.

Ingredients

  • 1 large egg 
  • 1 tablespoon (15ml) lemon juice (from 1/2 a lemon)
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 medium clove garlic, minced
  • 1 cup (240ml) vegetable or canola oil
  • Kosher salt


Method

Select a jar or tall container that is slightly wider than the head of the hand blender to ensure the blades can reach your ingredients for a well-mixed mayonnaise that doesn’t split. 

  1. Place the egg, lemon juice and Dijon mustard with a layer of oil to cover the ingredients. Leave it for 20 seconds before blending.
  2. As it combines, add the minced garlic at this point. 
  3. With the blender running, drizzle in the rest of the oil. 
  4. Blend until all the ingredients are combined. Season with salt. 

Tips: Use pasteurised eggs if you are concerned about uncooked eggs or use soft boiled eggs. 

Make a larger batch if your ingredients are not combining well because the blender head is not submerged in the ingredients for the blades to mix the ingredients.
Mince garlic using the hand blender to blend garlic pieces with oil. Stored the remaining garlic mince in the fridge.

2. Gochujang cocktail sauce

Source : https://www.savoryexperiments.com/classic-cocktail-sauce/#Ingredients-for-Cocktail-Sauce

Have you been swept by the Korean wave? For the unacquainted, Gochujang is a fermented chilli pepper paste commonly used in Korean cooking. 

Here’s a twist on the classic cocktail sauce with Gochujang for a splash of heat and a jazzy sauce that will perk up prawns, crabs, lobsters and more.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup ketchup 
  • 1-2 tablespoons prepared horseradish/ horse radish sauce (Found at supermarkets in jars)
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon of gochujang or more if you like 
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • Dash of finely ground black pepper

Method

Add all the ingredients in a jar tall enough to submerge the hand blender and blend till combined. Tastes best after chilling for an hour.

Alternatively, blend whole tinned tomatoes instead of using ketchup for fresh flavours.

Tip: If you’re making a large batch, use the jug blender accessory that comes with our MultiQuick 9 hand blender.

3. Romesco sauce 

 

Source : https://cookieandkate.com/easy-romesco-sauce-recipe/

Hailing from Catalonia, this robust and tangy sauce boasts of roasted peppers and tomatoes, making it a great accompaniment to meat, fish, and poultry. Here is a simplified version for easy grocery shopping and prepping but still punches with flavour.  

Ingredients

  • One 450g jar of roasted red peppers, drained
  • ½ cup of ground raw or roasted almonds (unsalted)
  • ¼ cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, rinsed and drained
  • 2 medium-to-large cloves garlic, peeled and quartered
  • 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt, to taste
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Method

This may take a little bit more time using a hand blender as we would suggest blending the bell peppers, tomatoes, and garlic first for a finer texture, but using the jug blender and food processor accessories will get the job done quicker. 

Use the jug blender/food processor to grind the almonds to your desired consistency, blend till fine for a creamier sauce and coarse if you prefer a chunkier sauce. Then add all the other ingredients except for the extra virgin olive oil and blend till combined.

Transfer the mixture into a tall vessel and drizzle the extra virgin olive oil while the hand blender is blending to emulsify all the ingredients together.


4. Apple sauce

Source : https://www.seriouseats.com/sweetened-spiced-applesauce-recipe

Last but not least, we leave you with a versatile sauce. Sweet or savoury, it works wonders both ways, serve it with slow roasted shoulder pork, thick-cut luncheon meat, pound cake, French toast and more. Eating is meant to be fun and personal.

Serves 6 (3 cups)

Ingredients

  • 1kg mixed apples (about 7 medium apples)
  • 100g plain or toasted sugar 
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar 
  • 1 (3-inch) strip orange peel
  • 1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick
  • Apple cider, to adjust consistency

Method

We use mixed apples to draw sweetness and tartness from different varietal for a well-balanced apple sauce, nothing overly sweet or tart.

Remove the core of the apples, rough chop using the food processor or by hand into 1/4 -1/2 inch cubes. This is the time to bring out the Dutch oven (heavy cast-iron pot), transfer all your ingredients into the pot and stir. Cover the pot and stew the apples in their own juices. If you don’t own a Dutch oven, any pot or saucepan works fine too. 

When the apples are fully cooked through and soft, use your hand blender to blend the cooked apples into a puree. How fine or chunky you like your apple sauce is entirely up to you. Let it cool down and store it in an airtight container for 3 weeks in the fridge.   

Tips: If the pot is quite dry during cooking, add water or apple juice to help the apples cook in the moisture. Add the liquids in small amounts as you don’t want to dilute the flavours and end up with a runny sauce.

Conclusion

The hand blender has made preparing sauces super convenient. Ask any professional Western cuisine chef and they’ll tell you it’s an essential tool that any serious cook must own.

Our award-winning MultiQuick 9 is not just a hand blender, the wide range of accessories that comes along with it makes it the ultimate kitchen helper you want in your kitchen to help you prep fast, cook fast and clean fast. 

 

Learn more about the MultiQuick 9 hand blender now. Read our other blog articles on the benefits of owning a hand blender.