Peanut Sauce
It makes a delicious spread, or relish with grilled meats. When required as a sauce, simply spoon out a quantity and mix in sufficient coconut milk or water to give a thick, pouring consistency.
Ingredients
125 ml/4 fl oz/1/2 cup peanut oil
4 tablespoons finely sliced shallots
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
2-3 large dried chillies
1 teaspoon dried shrimp paste (blacan)
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon lime or lemon juice
250 g/8 oz peanut butter
3 tablespoons coarse raw or demerara sugar
125 g/4 oz roasted peanuts, coarsely crushed
Directions
Heat oil and fry the sliced shallots on low heat, stirring constantly, until they are golden brown. Lift out on perforated spoon and drain on paper towels. In the same oil fry the garlic on low heat, lift out on a fine wire strainer before they brown. Fry chillies until puffed and almost black, about 1 minute. Lift out and allow to cool, then break off and discard their stems and crush or chop the chillies into small pieces. Reserve shallots, garlic and chillies to add later.
In the same oil fry the dried shrimp paste on low heat, crushing it with frying spoon. Remove from heat and stir in the soy sauce, lime juice and peanut butter and sugar until well blended. Cool the mixture before mixing in the fried shallots, garlic, chillies, sugar, and the roasted, crushed peanuts. Bottle and refrigerate.
Note: If preferred, use ready-fried shallots and garlic which are sold at Asian stores. Or purchase dried onion flakes and dried garlic slices and fry them for a short time on low heat as they burn easily.
Recipe excerpted from Encyclopedia of Asian Food by Charmaine Solomon (Periplus Editions, 1998)