Sweet And Sour SauceSweet and
sour sauce is probably one of the easiest sauces to start experimenting
with. It is versatile and can be used to pour over fried fish, chicken
or pork. The most important thing to consider is the consistency of the
sauce. It should neither be too thick nor too diluted.
The great thing about sweet and sour sauce is that you can use bottled tomato sauce as your base. Or, if you prefer, you could make it from scratch by using fresh tomatoes to puree. I prefer using bottled tomato sauce because it has a thicker consistency to start with. You will just need to add water to dilute the sauce during the cooking process. If however you decide to puree fresh tomatoes, then corn starch needs to be added to give the sauce a thicker consistency. Always dissolve corn starch in warm water before adding to the sauce to thicken. Do not add the cornstarch powder directly to the sauce as this will make it lumpy. Here is my own recipe for sweet and sour sauce. I use canned longans or canned pineapples and add some of the canned syrup. This imparts the sweetness to the sauce. You can add more chilli sauce if you prefer a spicier kick. Sweet and Sour Sauce Recipe FRYING THE FISH:Season the fish with salt, white pepper and 1 tsp of sesame oil.Be sure to rub the sesame oil into the belly cavity of the fish. Coat the fish well with tapioca flour. This will not only make the fish crispy on the outside, but also prevents spluttering of the hot oil while frying the fish. In a deep wok, heat sufficient oil so that the fish can be at least half submerged in oil. When oil is very hot (but not smoking), add the fish and fry for about 10 mins on both sides, or until it is a nice golden brown. WHAT YOU NEED:2 Tbs oil (the secret is to use the same oil that was used to fry the fish or meat)2 cloves garlic, sliced 1 medium red onion, quartered 1 small red bell pepper, cut into bite sized pieces 1 small green bell pepper, cut into bite sized pieces 1 tomato, quartered 1 red chili, sliced with seeds removed 1/4 Cup canned longans or pineapple, cut into bite sized pieces (retain 1/4 Cup of the syrup) 1/2 Cup tomato sauce (ketchup) 2 Tbs chili sauce (if not available, use 2 sliced chilies instead of 1) 1 Tbs plum sauce 1 Cup water 2 Tbs Cornstarch dissolved in warm water Salt to taste HOW TO MAKE IT:Heat oil in a wokAdd garlic, chili, onions, tomatoes and bell peppers and stir fry on low fire till peppers are cooked Add tomato sauce, chili and plum sauce and mix in with the vegetables and simmer Add canned longans or pineapples and the syrup Add water to dilute if sauce is too thick Add salt to taste (If sauce becomes too diluted, use cornstarch mixed with water and add gradually to the sauce while still simmering. Stir in the cornstarch mixture as needed to thicken the sauce to right consistency). Ladle the hot sauce from the wok onto the deep fried fish or chicken / pork. |
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