Make Your Dinner Fancier With These Outrageous Ingredients

Find 4 fancy ingredients that can turn your dinner party from basic to outrageous. We explain what they are, how to use them, and what to expect.

When you’re hosting a dinner party, you want to impress your guests, and there is nothing less impressive than serving a bog-standard meal. Add an elegant element to your plates by using the ingredients below.

Some might take a while to master, and others just need to be sprinkled on top. 

Truffles

Truffles are a type of fungi, like a mushroom. However, their rarity makes them the stuff of kings. Some truffles taste oaky and nutty, while others taste sweet and juicy with a savory base, like black olives.

The most irresistible thing about truffles is their aroma. The scent is hard to describe, but science tells us that it mimics “mammalian reproductive pheromones.” Essentially, smelling a truffle is likely to make you racy. 

Unfortunately, because truffles are grown in the wild, they are ridiculously hard to find. This means that you might not be able to get your hands on one; even professionals find it tricky. However, if you live near the English forestlands, there might be a trained truffle sniffer nearby that will charge you a high price for one.

If you do get your hands on one, cook the truffle with delicate hands. It is used best in simple recipes, as stronger flavors might overpower it. Try not to cook it too much and instead slice the truffle up to a thin layer and sprinkle it onto your dish to let the aroma fill your home.

Caviar

Caviar isn’t just the eggs from a fish, but the eggs from a Sturgeon. Sturgeons are a type of Acipenseridae fish, and they live in temperate waters near the northern hemisphere. Farming them to serve caviar is a long process, as each fish needs to live for 16 to 18 years before they can create the caviar. This is why real caviar costs so much money! However, the salty taste and popping texture is worth every cent.

You can expect caviar to taste a smooth texture with nutty undertones, but once the eggs pop, you’ll notice a sweet and salty but rich flavor explode in your mouth.

The taste of caviar can be the perfect dessert or a mouthwatering starter, but you can do so much more than put it on a cracker. 

Adding champagne and caviar to a classic butter sauce will create a rich and fancy flavor to any meal. Using chicken as a base, the caviar will be the star of the show without creating something too complicated.

Caciocavallo

Caciocavallo means “cheese on horseback” in Italian, and it gets the name from how it ages. Tied to a rope and dangled over a board to drain, there is a distinct method to producing this cheese that can be traced back to 500 BC.

Unlike classic cheeses, the Caocvallo has a sharp and spicy taste with a salty and even tangy base. Unlike some of the other ingredients in this list, you don’t need to spend a fortune to get this ingredient. There are also so many ways to use it.

When melted, these cheese can create a wonderful glopping pull that doesn’t become stringy. This means they are perfect for melting recipes, like cheese bites, soups, and pasta. You can even stuff this cheese into a lump of meat (like beef) and know that the flavors will still hold on while keeping its sturdy shape.

Edible Gold

There is nothing fancier than eating gold, and edible gold leaf sheets are not as expensive as you might think. You might be wondering why this metal type is considered edible at all, and the reason is due to its size and “biological inertness.” This means that the human digestive system will not absorb any of the gold, and due to its size, it can pass through your tract without causing harm.

Now let’s stop talking about bodily function and instead talk about what you can do with this edible gold! This ingredient is mostly used as a topping for dessert recipes or in fancy drinks. You won’t be able to taste anything, but the addition of gold can elevate any meal.

For example, cutting up some gold sheets and sprinkling them into your champagne will create a magical experience that is perfect for any significant occasion. It’s touches like this that make people feel special.

You can top your chocolate cake with a thin layer of edible gold, turning a basic and easy dessert into a fancy and awe-inspiring achievement. Gold can turn anything from drab to fab!