Sweet and sour sauce can subtly emphasize the taste of meat or fish, give a new flavor to any dish. It is no coincidence that the recipes of such dressings are present in all kitchens of the world. They are especially popular in Asian cuisine, but Europe has not bypassed them. To give sourness, fruit juice, vinegar, tomato, plum, sour berries are most often used, and sugar, honey, and jam are given to give a sweetish aftertaste. Sweet and sour sauce can be salty, spicy, moderately savory - a variety of recipes allows you to choose the option to taste and best suited exactly to the dish with which you want to serve seasoning.
Cooking Features
The complexity of the preparation of sweet and sour sauce depends largely on the selected recipe. There are simple options when a minimum set of ingredients is required, and they only need to be mixed together. There are more complex recipes where it is important to follow the instructions exactly and not to disturb the ratio of the components in order to get a balanced taste and a pleasant texture. Because of the wide variety of recipes, there are few common rules for making sweet-sour sauce, but they are still there.
- The most delicious sweet and sour sauce is obtained from fresh fruits and vegetables, and their quality plays an important role.
- The consistency of the sauce is determined by the recipe. Some variants suggest getting the sauce as smooth as possible, and in this case it is ground through a sieve, in other cases it is enough to grind the ingredients of the sauce with a blender, and in the third it is required to cut the ingredients with a knife so that the sauce gets their pieces. The recommended method of grinding products must be observed, otherwise the taste of the sauce will not be exactly what is required.
- Very often, starch is used to thicken the sauce. It can not be poured directly into the hot mass, as in this case it is impossible to avoid the formation of lumps. To avoid this trouble, the starch is pre-diluted in cool water and only then poured into the cooking sauce in a thin stream, while mixing the sauce itself with a spoon or a spatula. It should also be borne in mind that after cooling the sauce, which was added to the starch, will be thicker than in a hot state.
Aluminum dishes are not suitable for making sweet-sour sauces. This material is oxidized upon contact with acidic products, which causes harmful substances to enter the food.
Sweet and sour sauce can be used in two forms: if it is hot, they replace the gravy, and cold served separately to meat or other dishes.
Simple recipe for sweet and sour sauce
Composition:
- apple cider vinegar (6 percent) - 20 ml;
- sugar - 40 g;
- ketchup or tomato paste - 40 ml;
- soy sauce - 5 ml;
- spices - to taste;
- starch - a pinch;
- water - 20 ml.
Method of preparation:
- Dissolve starch with water.
- Ketchup mix with soy sauce, vinegar and sugar.
- Heat the mixture in a water bath, pour in starch.
- After a couple of minutes, add the spices, heat the sauce for another minute and remove from the heat.
When cool, the sauce can be served. It can be cooked without starch, but because of this, the consistency changes slightly. It will not affect the taste of the sauce. In this case, all the ingredients are simply mixed together. So this recipe for sweet and sour sauce is the simplest one you can find.
Chinese recipe for sweet and sour sauce
Composition:
- ginger root - 20 g;
- brown sugar - 100 g;
- ketchup - 100 ml;
- water - 100 ml;
- soy sauce - 100 ml;
- garlic - 3 cloves;
- vegetable oil - 60 ml;
- apple cider vinegar (6%) - 20 ml;
- starch - 20 g;
- onions - 100 g;
- fruit juice (apple or orange) - 150 ml.
Method of preparation:
- Peel the onions and garlic, cut them into small pieces.
- Peel and rub the ginger root.
- Heat the vegetable oil in the pan, fry the onion in it until soft, put it in a bowl.
- In place of the onion, place the garlic and fry it for 2-3 minutes.
- Remove the garlic to the onions, lightly fry the ginger in the pan, transfer the onions and garlic to it.
- Mix fruit juice with soy sauce and vinegar, dilute ketchup with this liquid. Add sugar, mix.
- Pour the mixture into a pan with vegetables. Over low heat bring it to a boil.
- Dissolve starch in cool water. Pour it into the sauce, stirring it constantly. Continue cooking, stirring until the sauce begins to thicken.
- Remove the sauce from the heat and cool.
Sweet and sour sauce prepared according to the Chinese recipe is suitable not only for sushi and rolls. With it you can serve any fish dishes, rice. Some housewives use it as a dressing for soups.
Recipe for savory sweet-sour sauce
Composition:
- salted cucumber - 100 g;
- vegetable oil - 20 ml;
- potato starch - 10 g;
- apple cider vinegar (6%) - 5 ml;
- cognac - 10 ml;
- tomato paste - 35 g;
- sugar - 10 g;
- water - 40 ml;
- dried ginger - a pinch.
Method of preparation:
- Salted cucumber cut into cubes as small as possible.
- In a separate bowl, mix vinegar, brandy, sugar and tomato paste. Whisk this mixture with a whisk. Add ginger to taste. You can lightly salt.
- Heat the oil in a pan, put slices of pickled cucumber in it. Extinguish them for 5 minutes, stirring.
- Pour tomato mixture on cucumbers and continue stewing for another 5 minutes.
- Dissolve the starch in water and pour it into the frying pan with the sauce. Stir without removing from the plate until the sauce becomes noticeably thicker.
Spicy sweet and sour sauce is best suited to meat. It can be served separately cold or used hot as a sauce.
Sweet and Sour Currant Sauce
Composition:
- red currant - 100 g;
- water - 100 ml;
- onions - 50 g;
- butter - 25 g;
- mint - 2-3 leaves;
- cherry leaves - 2-3 pcs .;
- allspice - 3 pcs .;
- carnation - 2 pcs .;
- salt, sugar - to taste.
Method of preparation:
- Currant, sort out, remove from the twigs, rinse and dry, laying on a clean cloth.
- Fold the currants in a bowl, add sugar and cover with water. Sugar can take as much as you see fit, but not less than a tablespoon.
- Put mint and cherry leaves, cloves and pepper over the currants. Add some salt.
- Put the pan with the currant on the fire and cook for 10-15 minutes.
- Wipe the resulting sauce through a sieve, before removing and discarding mint, cherry leaves, pepper and cloves.
- Peel and finely chop the onion, place it in the sauce.
- Put the sauce on the fire and simmer until the onion is soft.
After that, the sauce will remain cool. It will be thick enough, as the red currant contains a component that promotes the formation of jelly. This sauce is best for poultry, but can be served with any kind of meat.
Sweet and sour sauce is a popular seasoning in both European and Asian cuisine. He goes to fish, meat, bird. It's easy to cook at home with your own hands.
