Sweet-and-pungent sauce #1

Yield: 4 Servings

Measure Ingredient
¾ cup Water
½ cup Sugar
½ cup Vinegr
1 tablespoon Cornstarch
1 tablespoon Soy sauce
¼ cup Water
1 to 2 tablespoons sherry 1 to 2 tablespoons catsup or tomato sauce

1. Bring water to a boil. Add sugar, stirring, and cook another minute to dissolve. Add vinegar; cook 1 minute more.

2. Meanwhile blend cornstarch, soy sauce and remaining cold water to a paste. Then stir in to thicken. Pour sauce over deep-fried meat or fish and serve.

NOTE: Sweet-and-pungent sauces, because of their vinegar content, are best prepared in enamel pans. Their color can be enhanced by the addition of 2 tablespoons tomato sauce or ½ teaspoon red food coloring.

VARIATIONS:

1. For the sugar, use brown sugar or honey.

2. For the vinegar, use cider vinegar.

3. For the soy sauce, use heavy soy sauce.

4. For the water in step 1, substitute stock. Or use equal parts of water and tomato juice; or water and pineapple juice; or pineapple juice and tomato juice.

5. After step 1, add any of the following: 1 tablespoon molasses 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 scallion stalk, minced ¼ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon Tabasco Sauce few drops of Worcestershire Sauce few drops of sesame oil 1 teaspoon ginger juice juice of ½ lemon ½ cup subgum ginger, sliced ½ cup sweet mixed pickles, shredded 6. Omit the cornstarch paste in step 2. Instead, combine the cornstarch with the water in step 1 before heating it. Then cook, stirring, to thicken as the sugar and vinegar are added.

From <The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook>, ISBN 0-517-65870-4. Downloaded from Glen's MM Recipe Archive, .

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