Sweet and Sour Sauce

Ingredients:

½ cucumber
1 tsp salt
3 tbsp plum sauce
2 tbsp malt vinegar
1 tbsp tomato sauce
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp vegetable oil
½ large onion, sliced

Method:

Peel the cucumber, discarding the soft central side, then cut into slices 1 cm wide. Sprinkle it with salt and set aside for an hour. Squeeze the cucumber to remove as much moisture as you can, then set it aside for later use.

Place 150 ml of cold water in a saucepan with the plum sauce, vinegar, tomato sauce and sugar and bring the mixture to a simmer.

In a separate saucepan or wok, heat the oil and fry the sliced onions over a high heat until the edges begin to brown. Add the cucumber and stir rapidly for a minute or two.

Transfer the cucumber and onion to the simmering sauce and cook for a minute or two. The sauce can now be combined with other ingredients such as chicken, pork or seafood to make a superb sweet and sour dish.

Variations:

Omit the tomato sauce but add a skinned and quartered tomato. Omit the cucumber and substitute a small can of drained pineapple chunks.

Use two stalks of spring onions, cut into 2.5 cm lengths, in the sauce instead of the large onion. Or omit the cucumber and add a green or red pepper cut into 2 cm cubes.

Know Your Chinese Sauces

Bean sauce

or “tau pan cheong” is made from black or yellow soya beans that have been fermented with flour and salt. Black bean sauce is the saltier of the two and much darker.

Hoisin sauce

is made from soya bean puree, sugar, flour, maltose, salt and spices. This sauce is used to marinate Chinese roast or barbecued pork. It has a sweet flavour rather than the more pungent taste of Western barbecue sauce.

Chilli paste

is prepared from chillies, soya bean extract, salt, sugar and flour.

Sesame oil

is the pure thick extract of roasted sesame seeds and used as a seasoning or condiment rather than as a cooking oil. It is typically added to soups and stir-fried dishes at the last minute to give a nutty fragrance.

Lemon sauce

includes lemon extract, corn syrup, sugar, rice vinegar, spices and cornflour and is very good for use in chicken and seafood dishes.

Oyster sauce

is thick, aromatic and salty. Made from oyster-extract and soy sauce, it is used both as a complete seasoning and a stir-fry ingredient.

Plum sauce

is made from Chinese plums, corn syrup, sugar, rice vinegar, ginger, chillies, spices and cornflour. It is useful for sweet and sour dishes and as a table sauce for barbecued meat or poultry and cold appetizers.

Soy sauce

is a salting agent made from fermented soya beans and comes in a number of varieties, including light, dark, very dark and thick and salt-reduced. Light soy sauce are used to season almost every Chinese dish. Dark soy sauce are caramelised and sweeter in flavour, so are used more as dips and colouring for soups and stews.

Bean curd sauce

is a thick sauce made from fermented bean curd and salt that is used in rich Chinese stews. It comes in two varieties, white or red. There is no difference in flavour between the two, but the red bean curd sauce will make some dishes look much richer.

Japanese-Style Peanut Dipping Sauce

This beautiful sauce, which has chunky texture, is best served with fresh raw slices of salmon, some shredded carrot and shredded Japanese seaweed, making a dish that’s ideal as an appetizer.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp chunky peanut butter
4 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tsp miso
2 tbsp sugar to taste
1 tsp finely chopped young ginger
1 tsp finely chopped garlic
1 tbsp finely chopped spring onions
1 tsp chopped cili padi

Method:

Put all ingredients into a small mixing bowl. Mix well until the sugar dissolves, the peanut butter is smooth and everything is well-blended. Pour into individual bowls for serving.

Crab Cakes with Chilli Dipping Sauce

Ingredients:

250 g fresh crab meat
250 g cod steak or fillet, skin and bones removed, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 medium red chilli, deseeded and chopped
1 stalk lemongrass, peeled and chopped
2 tbsp finely grated fresh ginger
3 tbsp chopped fresh coriander, plus extra to garnish
1 egg white
Salt and black pepper (to taste)
Oil for frying

For Chilli Dipping Sauce:

8 large red chillies, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tsp unrefined caster sugar
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp Thai fish sauce
1 tbsp olive oil or groundnut oil
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 small red chilli, chopped, to garnish

Method:

Place the crab meat, cod, garlic, chilli, lemongrass, ginger, coriander, egg white and seasoning in a blender or food processor and pulse until fairly smooth. Cover and chill for 30 minutes.

Heat a little oil in a non-stick frying pan and place heaped tablespoons of the crab mixture into the pan, flattening with a spatula. Fry for 3-4 minutes on each side, until golden. Cook in batches and keep warm.

Make the chilli dipping sauce. Put all the ingredients except the soy sauce in a saucepan. Bring to boil, then cover and simmer for 10-12 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a blender and blend until smooth. Return the sauce to the pan and add the soy sauce. Heat for 2 minutes.

Serve the crab cakes with fresh coriander, chopped chilli and the chilli sauce.

Remoulade Sauce

This is a wonderful sauce for cold seafood, prawns, crabs and steamed fish. Serve it also with fish and chips or use as a salad dressing and sandwich spread.

Ingredients:

3 cups of mayonnaise
3 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 tbsp capers, finely minced
1 tbsp mustard
Juice of half a lemon
4 tbsp pickled gherkins, chopped
1 tbsp spring onion, chopped
2 tbsp parsley, chopped

Method:

Mix all ingredient and store in a jar in the refrigerator. This sauce keeps up to a month or more in the refrigerator.