Worcestershire Sauce

A Victorian Mistake That Became a Classic by Clyde Van Arsdall VI

Food stories fascinate me, and the story of Worcestershire sauce is a good one. This fermented sauce has roots in India, where an English Lord served as a governor. He fell in love with this exotic sauce and, upon returning home to Worcester, England, in 1835, he contacted two local chemists, John Lea and William Perrins, to try to recreate it. The chemists reverse-engineered the sauce, but upon tasting it, they found it bitter and the smell strong and abrasive. The men moved the barrel to the basement and forgot about it. Roughly two years later, they ran across the barrel and upon inspection, the harsh odor was gone and the flavor smooth and enticing — a star was born. The famous Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce became a household name. The paper that still adorns the bottles today was adopted when the sauce was used on ships in the British Navy, allowing the bottles to clink together in rough seas without breaking. While attending College in Rhode Island, I would sail on Narragansett Bay. From the water, you can see Bonnie Crest Mansion, built by an heir to the Lea & Perrins fortune. All the chimneys are shaped like Worcestershire sauce bottles, a fun sight to behold.

Worcestershire sauce makes steaks pop and Bloody Marys sing. I thought this sauce could not be improved upon, but I was wrong. Years ago, I came across an article in Beer West Magazine's Fall 2011 issue by Emily Hutto about Chef Dave Mork and his then-restaurant, Lapellah, in Vancouver, WA. In the article, Chef Mork described one of his dishes, the New Orleans Barbecued Shrimp. I was first interested because the dish was made with beer, an ingredient I was, and still am, obsessed with. I soon discovered that the house-made Worcestershire sauce was the real magic behind the dish. Mork included the recipe for his Worcestershire sauce in the article, and I was off to the races.  

This recipe is not for the faint of heart, as the shopping list is long and some of the ingredients are a bit exotic and a pain to cobble together, but cobble it did. I did not age my sauce in an oak barrel as Mork did, but the results were nothing short of magical. The Lea & Perrins version of the Indian sauce that so many of us have come to know and love is still good, but it doesn't hold a candle to the sauce that Chef Mork created. The article didn't include a recipe for the New Orleans BBQ shrimp, but I used my culinary chops to make what I hoped was a close facsimile. New Orleans BBQ shrimp is a regional standard in The Big Easy, so I had something to work with. I was pleasantly surprised by how much my guests enjoyed it. I hope you try Chef Mork's Worcestershire Sauce, but if you don't have the patience to make it, try the BBQ shrimp with the old standby from Worcester, England. 

I was inspired to share this story with you after stumbling upon this 14-year-old issue of Beer West. Further research revealed the fact that both the restaurant Lapellah and Chef Mork are no longer in business. The restaurant that was so beloved by its fans is closed, and the chef at the helm has passed away from cancer. I will be making a big batch of his legendary Worcestershire sauce and aging it in a barrel for friends and family as a tribute. To you, Dave, a fellow chef I never met: may your memory live on. I hope your sauce will once again delight all who are lucky enough to experience it. 

∙  Clyde Van Arsdall IV is a third-generation Coronado local, chef, and storyteller. For more stories and follow-ups to articles go to oliveavenuesupperclub.com.

House Worcestershire Sauce

Chef Dave Mork, the now shuttered Lapellah restaurant, Vancouver, WA. 

Makes 3 Quarts

• 2 ½ Tbsp. olive oil

• 1 lb. fresh horseradish

• 5 medium yellow onions

• 5 jalapeños

• 15 cloves of garlic

• 1 ¾ tsp. black pepper, cracked, not ground

• 5 cups of water

• 5 cups white wine vinegar

• 5 cups malt vinegar

• 5 cups dark molasses

• 5 cups dark corn syrup

• 2.5 oz. anchovy filets, canned

• 3 whole cloves

• 2.5 Tbsp. of salt

• 3 lemons, peeled and cut into thirds

• 2.5 Tbsp. tamarind paste

• In a large, nonreactive pot, heat the oil. Add the horseradish, onions, jalapenos, and garlic, and cook over medium heat. 

• Once the onions are translucent and the mixture is fragrant, add the remaining ingredients. Turn up the heat and stir the mixture as the temperature rises. This will ensure the corn syrup, molasses, and tamarind paste are incorporated and melted. 

• Bring the mixture to a boil, then promptly reduce the heat to a simmer until it reaches a nape consistency or coats a spoon. 

• Strain and return to the pot. Bring the strained liquid back up to a simmer and reduce until it reaches the desired thickness and consistency. 

• Strain it again through a fine strainer, then jar and refrigerate for up to 4 months. 

Note: Chef Mork aged this sauce in an oak barrel for two weeks to soften the acidity and sharp edges, but I find it delicious fresh — try both methods to discover your preference. 

New Orleans Barbecue Shrimp

My version of Chef Dave’s masterpiece, cobbled together from well-known recipes.

Ingredients:

• ⅓ cup of Worchestershire sauce (Lea & Perrins or Chef Mork’s)

• ⅓ cup of amber beer (amber beer is a popular choice in New Orleans, but I like to use something local)

• ⅓ cup of butter (unsalted)

• 3 cloves minced

• 1 bay leaf

• 1 tsp. fresh rosemary, minced

• 1 Tbsp. of Cajun or Creole seasoning

• 2 lbs. or 16-20 shrimp. (I prefer head and shell on, but you can use peeled and deveined)

• 1 lemon, thinly sliced into rounds, plus 1 Tbsp. of lemon juice or more to taste

• 14 Tbsp. of unsalted butter, cold, cut into cubes

• Kosher salt to taste

• 4 scallions, thinly sliced (dark and light green parts only)

• 1 Tbsp. of minced fresh parsley

Instructions:

• Add Worcestershire sauce, beer, garlic, bay leaf, rosemary, Cajun seasoning, pepper, and hot sauce to a large sauté pan with a lid and bring to a boil.

• Add the shrimp and lemon wheels, toss to coat, then cover and cook until shrimp are just cooked through, about 3-5 minutes depending on size.

• Remove the lid and add the lemon juice, then turn off the heat and add the cubed butter. Stir continuously until the butter is fully melted and the sauce is fully emulsified. Taste for seasoning and add the salt and more lemon juice to taste.

• Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle with scallions and parsley. Serve with a loaf of grilled bread for sopping up the sauce. 

Note: For beer, I bellied up to the bar at Coronado Brewing and got a crowler of Winter Warmer, a Baltic Porter at 7.5%. Ambers are hard to come by in San Diego. A crowler is a 2-pint can that the bartender can fill with your favorite beer and seal right at the bar — a fun way to take beer home.