This isn’t a meal, it’s not even a snack, just a sauce. But if you haven’t had this idea yet you might like it.
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Last Christmas when I visited my family, I ate in a restaurant that I’d gone past for years but never eaten in. I'll be damn sure to eat there on future trips, and I brought home a bottle of one of the sauces they sell. It’s not house-made stuff, I can order more from their website, but rather than pay $7.50 plus shipping for a small bottle I’d rather see if I can mix up something similar.
What it is, taste-wise, is a sweet teriyaki sauce with a lot of chili. And it’s thick; a dipping sauce not a marinade. Actually, I’m surprised I’d never seen anything like this before. The wing place I like has a “sweet chili” sauce that’s nothing but mae ploy, which is just simple syrup with chili flakes, this is much better.
And a look at the ingredients tells you right away, it consists of: teriyaki sauce and chili. The label starts with “Fresh chili paste”, which you’ll find in the market as “Sambal Oelek”. The rest of it is soy sauce, seasonings, sugar, and a dash of vinegar, which looks very much like the ingredients on the bottle of teriyaki.
Combine to taste and enjoy.
The chili paste is from Huy Fong Foods of southern California, more famous as the makers of Sriracha.
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One of my favorite books is, Kenneth Roberts’s Rabble In Arms, a historical novel about the American Revolution. There’s a scene where a couple of sailors are discussing an innovation in boat design, and a third character, who contributed more brawn than brains to the war, says “Why, anyone could have thought of that — if he’d happened to think of it!” That’s pretty much my feeling about this sauce.
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Here’s a concoction I will take credit for. If you have an Indian market nearby, look for “Coriander Chutney”. This has no resemblance to mango chutney, it’s a hot paste a little like Thai green curry paste (the main ingredient after coriander is green chili). Mixed with mayonnaise it’s great on chicken sandwiches.
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My actual dinner plan is pork country style ribs, grilled, with corn, also grilled, and smashed cucumber salad. Dinner will be accompanied by basketball; Go Warriors!
What’s for dinner at your place? Please consider telling us about it for a future WFD; message ninkasi23 if you can.
