Fred,
We Chinese don't really make Hoisin Sauce from scrach these days as it is very convenient to use the commecially made product at home. And to be honest, the shop-bought one has better consistency than the one we reprocude at home... The Lee Kum Kee has a good one and you should be able to buy it from your local supermarket... (Don't buy the one has a "rooster" on the bottle as it's quite awful!) However, if you are keen on making it on your own, I have to tell you that the real thing DOES NOT HAVE ANY SWEET POTATO WHAT-SO-EVER! And it should have "yellow bean paste" (Tao Cheong). I think the person who told you about the "sweet potato" being in the Hoisin sauce was not being honest or they have their own "invention" which is not really Hoisin sauce at all.
As far as "peanut butter" in this sauce? NO, NO, NO!
No "Blask Bean Sauce" either (though it could be a substitue for the "yellow bean paste" but still not quite...) Molasses should be in the sauce instead of honey. I don't have the "specific recipe" for you but these are what I found. Personally, I really think you should just buy it from (Asian)grocery stores or a large supermarket... sorry can't be more helfpful..
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from Epcurious Food Dictionary and modification by me:
[HOY-sihn, hoy-SIHN]
Also called Peking sauce (not ture as Peking sauce is another product) , this thick, reddish-brown sauce is sweet and spicy, and widely used in Chinese cooking. It's a mixture of soybeans, garlic, chile peppers and various spices. Hoisin sauce is mainly used as a table condiment and as a flavoring agent for many meat, poultry and shellfish dishes. It can be found in Asian markets and many large supermarkets. Once opened, canned hoisin should be transferred to a nonmetal container, tightly sealed and refrigerated. Bottled hoisin can be refrigerated as is. Both will keep indefinitely when stored in this manner.
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Note: This is "Kosher" so the Yellow bean paste is omitted and replaced by red bean paste, which Chinese don't really do (in fact, I have never seen it done this way in my life.) But since I found this recipe, I think it might be useful as a "guide"... ^_^
Kosher HOISIN SAUCE
Source:
Millie Chan's Kosher Chinese CookbookPART ONE:
unsweetened red bean paste
1 cup dried azuki red beans
4 cups water
PART TWO: (SAUCE)
2 tbs corn oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 dried hot chili peppers
1/2 cup unsweetened red bean paste (see above)
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbs soy sauce
3 tbs white vinegar
3 tbs water
PART ONE:
1. Sort and rinse beans put in a saucepan with the water. Bring to a boil and turn down heat and simmer for 1 1/2 hour ur until the beans are very soft and the liquid is absorbed.
2. Process with metal blade in a food preocessor to a fine paste. Store in a clean jar with lid and keep in fridge for a week or freezer for a month.
PART TWO: (SAUCE)
1. In small saucepan, heat oil, garlic and peppers stir about 2 in until flavors are released and garlic browns slightly (do not burn).
2. Remove and discard peppers. add pean paste stir and add remaining ingredients, sontinuing to stir until blended. Simmer over very low heat for 20-30 minutes, or until sauce thickens slightly.
3. Pour sauce into food processor and blend until smooth or mash by hand. Pour into a clean jar with an airtight lid. Cover and store in fridge to use as needed.
Properly stored it will keep for months.
