Recipe(tried): Authentic Chinese Sauces (7)

These authentic Chinese sauce recipes are from my cyber-pal, Jo-Anne, who teaches Chinese cooking:

BROWN SAUCE: --Mix together 2 Tb. water, 1Tb. light soy sauce, 1Tb. hoisin sauce, 2 tsp. sherry, 1 tsp. mushroom soy sauce (or dark soy sauce), 1/2 tsp. hot bean paste (more/less to taste) and 1 1/2 tsp. sugar. Add to the dish at the end of the recipe and thicken with a little cornstarch -ratio 1 to 1 with water if needed.

ANOTHER BROWN SAUCE: !/2 cup chicken sauce, 1Tb. oyster sauce, 2 Tb. sherry, 1 tsp. hoisin sauce, 1 tsp. chili sauce (opt. or less to taste) 1/4 tsp. sugar. Mix all. ( You can add 2 tsp. finely minced orange or tangerine peel for an added flavor.)

OYSTER SAUCE: Combine 1 1/2 Tb. minced ginger with 2 Tb. minced scallions.----Combine 1/2 cup chicken broth, 5 Tb. oyster sauce, 1 tsp. soy sauce, 1 Tb. sherry, 1 tsp. sesame oil, 1 1/2 tsp. sugar and 1 1/2 tsp. cornstarch.-----Heat a wok.---When wok is hot, add 1 Tb. oil and heat.---When oil is hot, add the ginger and scallions and stir/fry until aromatic.----Stir the sauce to loosen the ingredients ( which usually settle to the bottom) and add to the wok.----Stir until all is bubbly.

PEKING SAUCE (good with beef or pork):Combine 1 tsp.minced garlic and 1 tsp. ginger.----Combine 1/4 cup chicken broth, 1 Tb. soy sauce, 1 Tb. sherry, 1 Tb.oyster sauce (opt.), 3 Tb. hoisin sauce. -----Separately, slice 8 whole scallions on the diagonal about 2 inches long. -----Heat a wok.----Add 1 Tb. oil and heat.----Add the garlic/ginger and stir/fry till aromatic. DON'T let the garlic burn. Stir the sauce and as soon as you can smell the garlic, add the sauce to the wok and stirr till hot and bubbly.---Add the scallions, and stir in.(the heat of the sauce will cook the scallions.)

GONG PAO: Combine 1 minced clove garlic, 1 tsp. minced ginger and 2 scallions sliced into pea size pieces.------Combine 1 Tb. light soy sauce, 1 Tb. dark soy sauce, 1Tb. sherry, 1Tb. vinegar, 1 Tb. chicken broth, 1 tsp. sugar, 1 tsp. sesame oil, 1/2 tsp. chili paste with garlic and 1 tsp. cornstarch.---- Also have 1/2 cup peanuts on hand.--------Heat a wok.---When wok is hot, add 1 Tb. oil.---When oil is hot, add the garlic/ginger/scallion mix and heat till aromatic. (don't let garlic burn) ----Stir the sauce to loosen the cornstarch and add to the wok.---Stir until thickened and bubbly.---Either add the peanuts now or sprinkle the peanuts over the dish. -----This is typical Sichuan with sweet, sour, salty and spicy flavors.

FIVE WILLOW SAUCE

Cut 1/4 cup each of the following vegetables into shreds about 2 inches long and 1/4 inch wide: Green pepper, carrots, onion, the outside part of a firm tomato, and a pickle. These are the "willows".

In a saucepan, combine 1 cup water, 1 Tb. cornstarch, 2 Tb. sugar, 2 Tb. soy sauce, and 2 Tb. vinegar. (you can add 1 Tb. ketchup for color, if you want.)

Stir the sauce over medium heat, stirring constantly until the mix thickens and becomes translucent. ----Add the "willows" and simmer 3 minutes.

Thats all! It is especially good with fish,--- poached, pan fried, deep fried, baked, nuked - whatever. It perks up a bland fish and cuts the oily taste of fried fish. I especially like it with white fish: flounder, scrod, etc. For salmon, I prefer a "fermented black bean sauce."BROWN BEAN SAUCE

For seasons, mince 2 cloves of garlic and 1 tsp. ginger.

For the sauce, combine 1/3 cup chicken broth, 3 Tbs. sherry, 1 tsp. sugar, 1 tsp. dark soy sauce, 1 1/2 Tbs. BROWN BEAN SAUCE, 1/2 tsp. chili paste in garlic, and 2 tsp. cornstarch.

You also need 1 Tb. oil for stirfrying and 2 tsp. sesame oil for the final flavoring.

Heat a wok and, when hot, add the oil. ---When oil is hot, add the garlic/ginger seasonings and stir until aromatic. Don't have the heat too high or the garlic will burn. Stir the sauce to loosen the cornstarch which will have settled to the bottom. Add the sauce to the wok and stir until hot and bubbly. Stir in the 2 tsp. sesame oil.

If you want a stronger flavor, add another 1/2 Tb. bean sauce.

This is good with fish, beef, chicken, duck and bean curd.

BROWN bean sauce has pieces of brown (or yellow) beans in it. Don't confuse it with GROUND BEAN SAUCE which is saltier and more inferior.