JAR
PREPARATION TIME: 5 MINUTES
COOKING TIME: 15 MINUTES
4 tablespoons high-heat cooking oil, divided
6 garlic cloves, minced
6 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
1 tablespoon ground red pepper (cayenne)
4 teaspoons fermented shrimp paste
2 tablespoons fish sauce (nam pla)
3 tablespoons palm or brown sugar
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
1 teaspoon tamarind concentrate
1 tablespoon water
1 Heat the oil in a wok or skillet at medium high heat. Add the garlic and shallots and stir-fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Transfer garlic and shallots to a small bowl with a slotted spoon. Set aside. Leave the remaining oil in the pan.
2 Combine the ground red pepper, shrimp paste, fish sauce, brown sugar, lime juice, tamarind concentrate, water, reserved garlic, and shallots in a small food processor. Pulse until a thick paste forms.
3 Return the paste to the wok or skillet and stir it into the oil over low heat. Simmer gently and continue stirring until the mixture is a smooth, oily, and shimmering paste.
How to Make Roasted Red Chili Paste
1 Measure the sauce ingredients and place into individual bowls.
2 Heat the oil in a wok or skillet and add garlic and shallots.
3 Stir-fry the shallots and garlic until fragrant. Remove with a slotted spoon.
4 Combine the remaining sauce ingredients and reserved shallots and garlic in a small food processor.
5 Pulse in food processor until a thick paste forms.
Sweet Thai Chili Sauce
Oh, Sweet Thai Chili Sauce, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways. This versatile sauce is so easy to make yet adds so much tangy sweet flavor to everything it touches. Although it’s perfectly okay to use the store-bought stuff, I try to make it from scratch because it’s really so easy to make. Once you have it on hand you’ll realize all the great uses for it, from drizzling on crab cakes to sweetening up a spicy stir-fry. The crushed red pepper also give it a gorgeous hue and is so pretty when wrapped up in a sterilized jar (hey, what an original hostess gift).
MAKES ¾ CUP (180 ML)
PREPARATION TIME: 5 MINUTES
COOKING TIME: 15 MINUTES
½ cup (125 ml) rice vinegar or white vinegar
4 tablespoons water
¹⁄³ cup (67 g) sugar
3 garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon all-purpose cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water
Bring vinegar, water, sugar, garlic, crushed red pepper, and salt to a boil. Cook until the liquid is reduced by half, about 8 minutes. Reduce heat to low and add all-purpose cornstarch mixture. Stir until thickened, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and let cool completely.
COOK’S NOTE: Store the Sweet Thai Chili Sauce in a sealed glass jar in the refrigerator for up to several months.
Spicy Peanut Sauce
Satay is all about the sauce and this sauce is boss. I like to make homemade peanut butter when I have the time by simply blending roasted peanuts with a bit of honey and some peanut oil in the food processor, but store-bought peanut butter is completely fine. This is the perfect marriage of creamy nutty flavor with smooth coconut milk and just enough heat from the crushed red pepper. Great for any satay, especially for the Chicken Satay with Spicy Peanut Sauce (page 31), but also a yummy sauce for noodles or drizzled in a Thai wrap sandwich.
MAKES ½ CUP
PREPARATION TIME: 5 MINUTES
COOKING TIME: 8 MINUTES
3 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
4 tablespoons coconut milk
1 teaspoon thick red curry paste
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons palm or brown sugar
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
Crushed roasted peanuts for garnish
Heat the peanut butter, coconut milk, thick red curry paste, lime juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, and red pepper over medium-low heat in small saucepan until the mixture begins to simmer, stirring constantly. Transfer to a small serving bowl and garnish with peanuts.
COOK’S NOTE: Add a bit more coconut milk if you prefer a thinner sauce.
Sweet Hot Garlic Sauce
This is an incredibly simple, yet elegant sauce that can transform everyday grilled meats into glossy, lacquered treats. You can use chili-garlic sauce, sambal oelek, or crushed red pepper in place of the Sriracha if you’d like. This is another sauce that is wonderful to keep on hand to toss with stir-fried veggies or toss with some wings for a sticky sweet appetizer with some lovely heat.
MAKES ½ CUP (125 ML)
PREPARATION TIME: 5 MINUTES
COOKING TIME: 10 MINUTES
1 cup (200 g) sugar
6 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup (125 ml) water
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup (125 ml) rice vinegar or white vinegar
3–4 teaspoons Asian chili sauce,
