Worcestershire sauce

There’s an old idea hiding in plain sight: bright, herb-forward food can be beautifully balanced and still want one more layer. In another age that layer might have come from garum, or more directly now, from anchovies. That deep, salty, savory note is not meant to stand on its own. It sits underneath the herbs, the butter or oil, the lemon, the freshness. It gives the dish a lower register, a quiet bass line.