3 Best Japan sauce Recipes

Keynotes

1. Coconut ginger sauce with lemongrass and coriander
2. Chili Sauce
3. Caramelized sweet potatoes 

Coconut ginger sauce with lemongrass and coriander

Stirred into finished dishes this sauce gives a spicy, rich finish and flavor that is very much of the east. Take care not to over-egg the coconut, it is powerful and can result in the finished dish being too rich. This will keep for about 2 days in the fridge.

RECIPES

4 tablespoons vegetable oil

3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped

2.5cm piece of fresh ginger root, peeled and grated.

2.5cm piece of galangal, and grated

4 lemongrass sticks, outer leaves removed, finely chopped

500ml hot water

½ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons sugar

200g canned coconut milk

3 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh coriander

Salt and white pepper

Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed frying pan over low heat. Add the garlic, ginger, galangal, and lemongrass. Sauté gently over moderate heat for 6-8 minutes, string until softened and fragrant but not colored.

Add the hot water, bring to a boil then add the salt, sugar, and mikku powder. Lower the heat and simmer for a further 20 minutes until reduced by half.

Stir in the coconut milk, heat for a further 2 minutes, and remove from the heat. Add the chopped coriander. Check the seasoning before serving and adjust if necessary.

 

 

CHILLI SAUCE

A thick sweet red sauce spiked with chili and ginger. This sauce finishes dishes off and provides both color and spice. It will keep for few days in the fridge.

RECIPES

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 lemongrass stalks, outer leaves removed, finely chopped

1 teaspoon peeled and grated fresh ginger root

1 chili, trimmed and finely chopped

1 red onion, peeled and finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon light soy sauce

1 red pepper, trimmed, deseeded, and finely chopped

1 tablespoon bought sweet chili sauce

1 tablespoon tomato ketchup

300ml water

Heat the vegetable oil in a small pan over low heat until hot. Add the next eight ingredients and sauté for 7-8 minutes without coloring.  Add the red pepper and continue cooking gently for 8-10 minutes.  Add the remaining ingredients, bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Blitz in a blender and use.

CARAMELISED SWEET POTATOES

Caramelized sweet potatoes with golden syrup and black sesame seeds

250g sweet potato, peeled and cut into thin wedges

Vegetable oil, for deep frying

1 teaspoon golden syrup

Juice of ½ lemons

1 teaspoon black sesame seeds

Soak the sweet potato wedges for 5 minutes in cold water. Drain well, then pat dry with kitchen paper.

Fill a large pan one-third full of oil and heat to heat to 180 C or until a cube of bread added to the oil browns in 30 seconds. Carefully lower the wedges into the hot oil and cook for 5 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oil and drain well on kitchen paper.

Combine the syrup with the lemon juice and heat in a small saucepan. Pour over the potato wedges stir well to coat, and then transfer to a serving plate and sprinkle with the sesame seeds