ASIAN SAUCES

THERE ARE LITERALLY HUNDREDS OF ASIAN sauces. This chapter focuses on sauces American home cooks are most likely to use in their everyday cooking. We have included one glaze (teriyaki sauce), four dipping sauces (soy ginger, peanut, hoisin sesame, and a spicy Southeast Asian version with fish sauce and lime juice), as well as a host of stir-fry sauces.

Unlike Western sauces, which often add richness to a dish, Asian sauces are light and flavor-packed. Most Asian sauces have a strong acidic component, relying on rice wine vinegar or citrus juices. Because these acids are about half as strong as red wine or white wine vinegar, they can be used in substantial quantities.

STIR-FRY SAUCES

Stir-fry sauces are added to a wok or large skillet (our preference on an American stove, with its flat heat source) full of cooked vegetables, protein (beef, chicken, pork, seafood, or tofu), and aromatics. These sauces must be strongly flavored to give the stir-fry its character.

In our testing, we found that cornstarch makes sauces thick and gloppy. We prefer the cleaner flavor and texture of sauces made without any thickener. Without cornstarch, it is necessary to keep the sauce to a reasonable amount (about one-half cup) that will thicken slightly on its own with a minute or so of cooking. One-half cup of sauce will nicely coat the ingredients in a standard stir-fry for four—containing ³/₄ pound protein and 1¹/₂ pounds vegetables—without being too liquid.

A caution about the use of sugar. Even sweet sauces, such as sweet-and-sour, should contain a minimum of sugar. Too much Chinese food prepared in this country is overly sweet. A little sugar is authentic (and delicious) in many recipes; a lot of sugar is not.

Soy sauce is a common ingredient in stir-fry sauces. We generally prefer regular Chinese soy sauce. However, in sauces calling for a substantial amount of soy sauce, we use a light or reduced-sodium brand. In a pinch, you can dilute 2 parts regular soy sauce with 1 part water to produce your own "light" soy sauce.