Does anyone use Kitchen Bouquet, and why?

[babylonsister]

My m-i-l has one recipe my husband duplicates at least yearly. Take a big piece of chuck roast, drown it in water and Kitchen Bouquet, add potatoes, carrots, and cabbage, cook it from 5-10 hours. It's a no brainer but doesn't have much flavor. And I need to mention the m-i-l comes from the school of 'throw everything in the pressure cooker and leave it alone'. She's not much of a cook but he doesn't appreciate me trying to tweek this recipe at all.
So, are there any recipes out there requiring KB that are actually good?

[eyesroll]

1. Hm... googled it and found it's probably similar to Maggi

...in which case, you'd use it as a flavor enhancer, but not as the flavor itself.

It can be used to enhance gravy, add color to things (especially vegetarian meat analogs), and I've also had it in Polish bigos (sauerkraut-based hunters stew).

Bearfan's meatloaf gravy uses it: http://demopedia.democraticunderground.com/index.php/DU_Recipes:Main_Dishes:Meat

But, no, if your MIL is just drowining a chuck roast in KB, that's not going to help much. She'd be better off browning the meat and then braising it in a beef broth with herbs and perhaps a *little* KB. But you knew that.

[eleny]

4. Did you know that Maggi is a soy product?

Years ago, my mil gave me her recipe for tomato sauce. She was a fantastic Italian cook. She always used a little Maggi in her sauce.

One day I was at the Vietnamese market looking for the lightest soy I could find. The store owner took me over to the soy sauces and handed me a bottle of Maggi. Who knew?! So, now, when I'm out of Maggi, I just add any kind fo soy sauce to my Italian sauce and it's great. My mil's secret. I never had the heart to tell her she was using soy sauce in her tomato sauce.

[Stinky The Clown]

2. Kitchen Bouquet's main purpose is to add color ... not flavor

Lot's of 'old' household recipes call for it, however. All it really does is add color. I'd suggest you taste it, but that would cause your lips and tongue to get brown! Its like a dye! (Actually, I think its really from molasses, not chemicals.)

In any case, use Worchestershire instead and see what the recipe's like. I bet it is pretty much the same, but with more flavor.

[NMDemDist2]

5. agreed, I used KB for years to make my gravies brown and rich looking

it's claim to fame in my book was it's LACK of flavor

[eleny]

3. Here's something on it

http://www.recipestogo.com/glossary/glossaryK.html

Brand name for a bottled seasoning used to flavor and color gravy. It is also known as "baker's caramel (burnt sugar caramel)" or "blackjack." You can make your own by combining 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar and 2 tablespoons water in a saucepan and cook, stirring constantly, until sugar is dissolved (about 2 minutes). Gradually add 1 cup boiling water; continue cooking until it becomes syrupy (about 15 minutes).

[mandyky]

6. Adding flavor to chuck roast

I always bake it wrapped in tin foil and season it with salt, pepper and onion soup mix. I put carrots and potaoes in small chunks around the roast and cover the bottom with water. After the roast has cooked about an hour add more water if needed and use a fork to poke holes in the tin foil so the onion soup and water add flavor to the carrots and potatoes. Cabbage could be added too, I suppose, and I would also add an onion, pepper, and some mushrooms, if there was room.

[wryter2000]

7. I use it in potroast

It's caramelized vegetables. It adds a very nice flavor to stews.

[BikeWriter]

8. Personally, I'd use a roux any day before Kitchen Bouquet.

[bearfan454]

9. I use it if I'm making brown gravy.

It darkens up the gravy. Sometimes I don't need it if I brown the flour good enough.