Juicy

Adding some juiciness often comes naturally when we think of dishes, and it's simply to keep the food from becoming too dry and therefore hard to eat. Juiciness can come from many ingredients, and in its pure form often via, for example, a marinade for a salad. Vinaigrette, for example, is intended to add both flavour and juiciness to a salad. Juiciness can also come from, for example, ripe fruits or berries, which are juicy at the same time as having some bite and texture.

A sauce adds something juicy to potatoes and vegetables, while a dressing, marinade or vinaigrette does the same for salads. In addition, the juiciness that is added ties the flavour and the dish together and can act as the 'glue' that binds the other elements together on the plate - both taste-wise, visually and therefore also with the texture.

How can we add something juicy?

Juiciness comes easily from, for example, fresh, ripe fruit, berries and certain vegetables. These can include plums, nectarines, melons and tomatoes, all of which add juiciness to a variety of dishes - for example, as a side dish, or tomato in a sandwich, wrap or burger, or melon in a salad.

Sauces, pestos and dressings also add juiciness and flavour to many dishes. On a pizza, tomato sauce adds a juicy element to the crispy base, just as pesto or oil on bruschetta, for example, adds some juiciness along with the very crusty bread. Dressing is a classic example of something juicy and creamy added to salads and vegetables.

Juicy elements can also come from vegetables used in different dishes - for example, grated courgette or potato can be kneaded with minced meat when making burger patties or mince steaks, and as well as adding juiciness to meat, grated vegetables in stuffing also help us eat a little less meat and a little more vegetables.

Vegetables such as mushrooms, courgettes or peppers can be heat-cooked on a grill, in a pan or in the oven to make them juicy, flavoursome and great as an ingredient or side dish.