Sauce pots Epicurean's holding up (5)
I believe the answer is:
pesto
'sauce' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)
'pots epicurean's holding up' is the wordplay.
'holding' indicates a hidden word.
'up' says the letters should be written backwards (in down clue: letters go upwards).
'otsep' is hidden in the letters of 'pots epicureans'.
'otsep' in reverse letter order is 'PESTO'.
(Other definitions for pesto that I've seen before include "Sauce made of basil and cheese" , "Ligurian food" , "Green sauce" , "Pasta sauce based on basil" , "Sauce of basil, pine nuts, etc" .)