[CH] sweet chile sauce
Assembly (Assembly1@btinternet.com)
Thu, 09 Mar 2000 14:15:02 +0000
Thai sweet chile (chilli) sauce is freely available at Thai and Chinese
markets in enormous bottles like those for fish and soy sauces - sometimes
it is labelled as sauce for chicken. It has also turned up in the
speciality foods department of our supermarkets as well - large supermarkets
in Chicago should have it.
Kristopher says it's hot but the sauce I've had both here in England and in
California is not in the remotest bit hot, even though it has inviting red
chile bits suspended in the syrup - just a tiny tingle. It's great as a dip
for spring rolls and Thai ribs, especially if you cut up Thai bird's eye
chiles and add to the sauce. Chicken barbecued with a basting paste of
black pepper, coriander root and garlic and served with this sauce (I've
also done this with swordfish) is delicious.
Nancie McDermott gives a sweet chile sauce recipe in _Real Thai_ (San
Francisco: Chronicle Books, 1992) p. 189, as Sweet-Hot Garlic Sauce:
"1 C. sugar; 1/2 C. water; 1/2 C. white vinegar [McDermott says that
distilled white vinegar is more traditional, but I use Chinese rice wine
vinegar for other Thai sweet sauces]; 2 tablespoons finely minced garlic; 1
teaspoon salt; 1 tablespoon chili-garlic sauce (tuong ot toi sauce) or
coarsely ground dried red chili
"In a small, heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, water, vinegar, garlic, and
salt. Bring to a rolling boil over medium heat. Stir to dissolve the sugar
and salt and reduce the heat to low. Simmer until the liquid reduces
slightly and thickens to a light syrup, 20 minutes. Remove from the heat
and stir in the chili garlic sauce. Cool to room temperature.
"Transfer the cooled sauce to a tightly sealed jar and store at room
temperature for 2 to 3 days.
"Makes about 1 1/2 Cups."
As with Temple, McDermott's spelling is her own. If you are having trouble
finding sweet chile sauce, then tuong ot toi sauce might be even more of a
problem. From her glossary description, this is a Vietnamese sauce of
chiles, vinegar, garlic and salt. I'd probably try sambal oelek instead
(and up the fresh garlic), or she suggests sriracha sauce (she also suggests
Tabasco, but that's ridiculous for knowledgeable CHs). If you do go with
dried red chiles, try buzzing whole dried red chiles for a very short time
in a spice grinder until coarse, then letting them soften in the cooling
syrup. A Thai restauranteur told me to do this with cayennes for salads
like yums and larbs and it makes the dried chiles look almost fresh once
they've soaked a bit. Any of these versions will result in a hotter sauce
than the commercial type.
Cheers,
"assembly" Virginia