4 unexpected ways to use ketchup

Call it the champion condiment: it's capable of everything, from adding moisture to bringing out rich flavours. Explore these four uses.

1. To make Russian dressing at home, whisk together 50 millilitres (1/4 cup) mayonnaise, 50 millilitres (1/4 cup) sour cream, 30 millilitres (two tablespoons) ketchup and 45 millilitres (three tablespoons) fresh lemon juice. Then, to be truly authentic, fold in 30 millilitres (two tablespoons) red or black caviar (remember — salmon eggs are very reasonably priced if you don't want to splurge on the serious stuff).
2. To make an easy braising liquid for beef brisket, mix 625 millilitres (2 1/2 cups) ketchup with 625 millilitres (2 1/2 cups) beef broth. Scatter two millilitres (1/2 teaspoon) salt and one millilitres (1/4 teaspoon) freshly ground black pepper over one to 1.5 kilograms (three to four pounds) of beef brisket. Brown the brisket in a Dutch oven in 15 millilitres (one tablespoon) vegetable oil. Remove the brisket and sauté two large chopped onions in the pan. Add the ketchup mixture and simmer for two minutes. Add the brisket, cover and simmer until the meat is fork-tender, about two hours. Skim the fat from the gravy, then slice the meat and serve with the gravy.
3. For a sweet-and-sour Creole vinaigrette, combine:
   75 ml (1/3 c) ketchup
   30 ml (2 tbsp) spicy brown mustard
   30 ml (2 tbsp) sugar
   30 ml (2 tbsp) apple-cider vinegar
   15 ml (1 tbsp) prepared horseradish
   1 garlic clove, minced
   2 ml (1/2 tsp) hot-pepper sauce
   Whisk in 250 millilitres (one cup) vegetable oil in a slow, steady stream until the dressing is thick. Add one millilitres (1/4 teaspoon) salt and 0.5 millilitres (1/8 teaspoon) freshly ground black pepper.
4. For a basic sweet-and-sour stir-fry sauce, dissolve five millilitres (one teaspoon) cornstarch in 15 millilitres (one tablespoon) cold water in the bottom of a medium bowl. Stir in:

75 ml (1/3 c) rice vinegar
45 ml (3 tbsp) ketchup
45 ml (3 tbsp) dark brown sugar
2 ml (1/2 tsp) finely chopped fresh ginger
1/2 garlic clove, minced
15 ml (1 tbsp) rice wine or dry sherry
Add the sauce to the hot wok or skillet at the end of stir-frying and cook until thickened, about one minute. This sauce tastes great with chicken, pork, and seafood.

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