Basic Sweet and Sour

Basic Sweet and Sour Sauce: See also specific recipes for beef (steak), chicken (fish), pork, and shrimp.

North America's favourite Chinese restaurant sauce has finally come to your own kitchen-only this one is much superior to anything you will find in a restaurant or on a supermarket shelf. And when you make it yourself, you can control the sweet and sour flavours to the proportion that's right for your palate.

The sauce balances the flavour of any stir-fry, but it's especially good at cutting richness of batter-dipped meats and fish, as well as deep-fried appetizers such as egg rolls.

Preparation time: 15 minutes.   Cooking time: 15 minutes. Yield: 2 cups

1/2 cup water                                                       

1/2 cup ketchup                                                   

1/3 cup packed brown sugar                           

1/3 cup orange juice                                           

1/3 cup rice vinegar                                                        

2 Tbsps. soy sauce                                               

2 tsp. crushed red chillies                                 

2 tsp. cooking oil                                      

2 tsp. minced ginger                                           

2 tsp. tapioca or corn starch mixed with                 

¼ cup water                       

            1. In a bowl, combine the water, ketchup, brown sugar, orange juice rice vinegar soy sauce, and dried chillies.              

            2. Place, a medium pan over high heat until hot. Add the cooking         oil, swirling to coat the sides. Add the minced ginger and cook,          stirring, until fragrant, about 20 seconds. Add the mixture from Step             1; bring to a boil and cook until the sugar dissolves. Add the starch             solution and cook stirring, until the sauce boils and thickens.

Remember: Sweet and sour sauce wouldn't be sweet and sour without an ample helping of acidic ingredients such as rice vinegar and orange juice. But any starch-thickened sauce becomes thin and watery if you add too much acid. So if you're playing with proportions, don't get out of hand when upping the sour. (For more tips on working with starch solutions in sauces, see "Through thick and thin".

Sweet and Sour Sauce – Variation 1

1 green onion, diced

½ green pepper cut into squares

½ red bell pepper cut into squares

2 Tbsps. oil                                                 

1/2 cup vinegar                                                    

1 Tbsp. soy sauce                                     

3/4 cup ketchup                                                   

1-19 ozs. can pineapple cubes             

1/4 cup tapioca starch                                       

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

            1. Sauté green onion and pepper in oil until almost tender but still        bright green. Remove from pan and drain

            2. Combine vinegar, soy sauce, ketchup, and juice drained from the    pine apple; bring to a boil.

            3. Combine sugar, corn-starch, a little water; blend into the liquid,       stirring until the sauce becomes clear.

            4. Add vegetables and pineapple cubes

BATTER COATINGS

For use on poultry, pork, fish or seafood

Batter No. 1

1 cup  flour                                      

1/4 cup corn-starch                                

1 tsp. baking powder                              

1/2 tsp. baking soda                                           

            Dash salt

2 Tbsps. vegetable oil                             

1 cup  water           

·        Mix batter dry ingredients in medium bowl.

·        Add oil and water; stir until combined but do not over mix. It will be a thick batter

Batter No. 2

1 cup  flour                                      

1/2 tsp. salt                                               

1 tsp. baking powder                              

1 Tbsp. vegetable oil                               

1 cup  water           

v Mix dry ingredients; stir in oil and liquid

v Beat until smooth and creamy; do not over beat.

v for fish, add 1 Tbsp. vinegar    

v for fruit, reduce salt add 2 Tbsps. sugar

For Quick Batter

Prepare dry BATTER MIX -store in air tight container or use pancake mix and 1 package Italian Salad Dressing Mix

Add liquid as directed.