Sauce – How to cut the flavour of Worcestershire sauce in a completed Asian dish

My secret weapon is onion. Caramelize the onions first. This creates a natural sweetness. Always use ripe tomatoes; if you cannot then use canned. The canned are made from ripe tomatoes and tend to be a very good substitute.

Also, the celery and carrot suggestions are very much a good addition - you are making a classic tomato sauce when you include the celery and carrots, 1 part each celery and carrot to 2 parts onion. Add the onions first to get the caramelization.

I don't get too fancy with herbs, usually one good fresh herb does it for me, basil or sage are two favorites of mine.

There is a suggestion to add cream, why not use the parmesan end you may have in your fridge, it is dairy and allowed to slowly simmer in the sauce will lend a very nice flavor note.

Acidic sauces are usually reserved for nights when I make a puttanesca sauce - it goes with the capers and calamata olives I add to it.

Don't forget to season with salt and pepper.

A few tips:

• Marinate the meat first (after chopping, before stir-frying);

• Mix the sauce first - don't just dump the ingredients separately into the wok;

• Add corn starch or tapioca flour to the sauce to thicken it. I wouldn't even call it a sauce without any thickening agent. About 1 tbsp per cup of sauce should be alright. (Note: The sauce should be about 50-60% water, don't use a whole cup of soy sauce!)

• Add some other savoury or flavour-enhancing ingredients to the sauce - i.e. toasted sesame oil, rice vinegar, brown sugar/honey. And ditch the oregano.

• Briefly steam the vegetables in the wok - add just a little bit of the sauce, then cover it for a few minutes. This will make them much more tender after frying. (Note that this only applies to hard vegetables like carrots, celery, broccoli, etc. - add the soft vegetables afterward)

• Add minced garlic with the ginger. The two go together like white on rice.