Why It Works
- Pineapple juice furnishes the sauce’s fruity style, whereas ketchup boosts its sweetness and offers the signature purple coloration.
- A slurry of cornstarch and water thickens the sauce to an appropriately viscous consistency.
Highschool was all about strip mall Chinese language language and massive plates of sweet and bitter rooster. I was so eager on the stuff, I scoured used e-book outlets for any cookbook with an excellent wanting sweet and bitter sauce recipe. I would like I could uncover the one I lastly chosen—it paperwork all my modifications to the distinctive recipe. Nevertheless years later, I’ve settled on one which isn’t too far off.
Whereas sweet and bitter could possibly be current in numerous sorts in China, the American mannequin builds upon the simple mixture of sugar, vinegar, and spices with the addition of fruit juice—largely pineapple—and ketchup, giving the sauce every its purple hue and uniquely Western style.
Not like my duck sauce, which felt like an enchancment on the take-out mannequin, this recipe is sort of what you’d anticipate from one thing labeled “sweet and bitter.”
It has the fruity base with rice vinegar providing the bitter, and brown sugar together with the sweet. It’s thickened with a cornstarch slurry that brings the complete factor to the thick, gelatinous consistency that could be a requirement in my ideas.
Quick and easy to make, it’s good tossed on customary fried rooster to create in all probability the best plates of sweet and bitter rooster you’ll eat, or as an accompaniment to a couple of our favorite Chinese language language-American takeout dishes. It launched me correct once more to those highschool days.
This recipe was initially revealed as part of the column “Sauced.”
January 2012
Sweet and Bitter Sauce Recipe
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1 tablespoon cornstarch (about 1/4 ounce; 7g)
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1 tablespoon (15ml) water
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2/3 cup (160ml) pineapple juice
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1/3 cup (80ml) rice vinegar
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1/3 cup (74g) delicate brown sugar
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3 tablespoons (45ml) ketchup
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1 tablespoon (15ml) I am willow
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In a small bowl, whisk collectively cornstarch and water. Put apart.
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In a medium saucepan, combine pineapple juice, rice vinegar, brown sugar, ketchup, and soy sauce and convey to a boil over medium heat. Stir in cornstarch slurry and prepare dinner dinner until thickened, about 1 to 2 minutes. Take away from heat and use immediately or retailer in an airtight container inside the fridge for as a lot as 2 weeks.
Specific Gear
Medium saucier or saucepan
Make-Ahead and Storage
Retailer in an airtight container inside the fridge for as a lot as 2 weeks