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Sauces

Imagine a world without a sweet-and-sour sauce to dip your crunchy egg roll into, or without a soy dipping sauce spiked with sesame oil and green onions to drizzle over your favorite dumplings at dim sum. Yes, I know, I’m painting a bleak and sad picture here, and I apologize. Chinese food just wouldn’t be the same without its sauces.

This is a collection of some basic sauces and condiments, like Hoisin Sauce, which can be used to enhance flavors while cooking or to complement cooked food. I’m excited to share recipes for some of my mother’s legendary sauces, like her earthy and spicy Chili Paste, bursting with umami goodness, and her Sweet Chili Soy Sauce, which delivers salty sweet heat in every bite. I also encourage you to try the Hot Chili Oil made with Sichuan peppercorns, which create an indescribable tingling sensation in your mouth and add an exotic note to this versatile condiment. It gives a sultry kick to anything you put it in.

This is just a sampling of some of my favorite sauces, but I hope you can gain the confidence to create your own sauces from scratch and make your world a better (and more delicious) place.

Sweet-and-Sour Sauce

My mother used to make this by the gallon for her catering business in our tiny basement in Minneapolis. On Saturday mornings, we would wake up not to the whiff of pancakes, but to the aroma of dark soy sauce, crushed pineapple and vinegar melding together to make this perfectly balanced dipping sauce that’s just the right amount of sweet and just the right amount of sour. I always say life wouldn’t be as sweet without the sour! This versatile sauce, also known as duck sauce or plum sauce, is great for everything from Chicken Egg Rolls (page 34) to Crab Wontons (page 44). For a quick and easy cocktail appetizer, cut some wonton wrappers into quarters, fry them up and serve them with this sauce.

Makes 5⅔ cups (1.25 liters)

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 8 minutes

One 20-oz (600-ml) can crushed pineapple in heavy syrup

1 cup (200 g) sugar

1 cup (250 ml) water

1 cup (250 ml) vinegar

1 tablespoon dark soy sauce

2 tablespoons all-purpose cornstarch

2 tablespoons cold water

1 cup (250 ml) plum sauce

1 Heat the pineapple (with syrup), sugar, 1 cup (250 ml) water, vinegar and soy sauce to boiling. Mix together the cornstarch and the 2 tablespoons cold water, then stir into the pineapple mixture. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly.

2 Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Stir in the plum sauce. Cover and store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

COOK’S NOTE

Orange marmalade or plum jam can be substituted for plum sauce.

Sweet Chili Soy Sauce

My husband says this sauce is just like me: sweet, spicy, exotic and sometimes salty. Ha! I just love the sweet heat in this sauce, which is filled with piquant flavor and finishes with a fennel-like note from the star anise. Drizzle it over your favorite dumplings or steamed fish.

Makes 1 cup (250 ml)

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes

¾ cup (185 ml) soy sauce

4 tablespoons water

½ cup (100 g) plus 1 tablespoon sugar

1 star anise pod

¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper

1 Combine the soy sauce, water, sugar, star anise and crushed red pepper in a small pan or skillet and mix with a fork or spoon.

2 Cook over low heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and discard the star anise.

3 Allow the sauce to cool for about an hour. Pour the cooled sauce into a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Use immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to 30 days.

Hoisin Sauce

My mother always taught me that of all the Chinese sauces, hoisin sauce is the boss. Why? Because of its versatility—it’s used as a barbecue glaze, added to stir-fries, served as a dipping sauce and used in marinades. You can easily buy hoisin sauce at grocery stores, but I like to make it from scratch on Sunday afternoons when my kids are at soccer practice. Hoisin sauce is typically made with soybean paste, but I use peanut butter in this recipe for the sake of convenience.

Makes ¼ cup (65 ml)

Preparation time: 10 minutes

4 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons smooth peanut butter

1 tablespoon honey

2 teaspoons unseasoned rice vinegar

1 clove garlic, finely minced

2 teaspoons dark sesame oil

1 teaspoon Asian hot sauce, like Sriracha chili sauce

⅛ teaspoon white pepper

1 Combine all ingredients in a medium mixing bowl. Whisk until blended.

2 Transfer the sauce to a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Use immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Hot Chili Oil

When my father used to bring us to visit Uncle Jack Yee at his eponymous Chinese restaurant in Hopkins, Minnesota, they’d sit in a corner reminiscing about China and playing cards. I remember the glistening jars of hot chili oil on the tables; their shimmering golden-red hue always looked like sunset in a jar to me. This seasoning oil is rich, layered, hot and complex. If you like things spicy, then this Sichuan classic will be your new go-to condiment. Have it by your stove to add a little kick to any stir-fry you’re making, or drizzle it over roast chicken. It’s even great on scrambled eggs. Hot chili oil should be used sparingly, as a little goes a long way.

Makes ¼ cup (65 ml)

Preparation time: 10 minutes + 8 to 10 hours resting time

6 tablespoons Sichuan peppercorns

One 1-in (2.5-cm) thick slice fresh ginger

2 star anise pods

½ cup (50 g) crushed red pepper

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon dark sesame oil

4 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil

1 Place all of the ingredients, except the oils, in a medium glass bowl.

2 In a small saucepan, heat the oils to 375°F (190°C), then pour over the ingredients in the bowl. Let sit for 8 to 10 hours.

3 Strain the oil if you wish. Transfer to a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid and store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Chili Paste

This is an earthy, rich paste that adds a spicy aromatic depth to any dish. It’s more concentrated and hotter than chili garlic sauce. Whenever chili paste hit my mom’s wok when we were growing up, its distinct aroma would wend its way up to my bedroom, and I knew we’d be gobbling up one of her amazing spicy dishes before long (she sure knew how to get me to finish my algebra!). You can buy chili paste at Asian markets, but it’s easy-peasy to make, so I encourage you to try this at home.

Makes ½ cup (125 ml)

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 10 minutes

1 tablespoon oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon peeled and minced fresh ginger

½ cup (125 ml) brown bean paste

1 teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne)

1 tablespoon sugar

1 Heat a wok or skillet on medium-low heat. Add all of the ingredients and cook for 10 minutes.

2 Allow the sauce to cool for about an hour. Pour the cooled sauce into a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Use immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

COOK’S NOTE

You may substitute hoisin sauce for the brown bean sauce, but if you do so, reduce the sugar to 1 teaspoon.