CHEAP AND FAST - Sweet & Sour Sauce

[ChrisGreaves]

3/4 cup white sugar
2/3 cup water
1/3 cup vinegar
2 tablespoons cornflour
2 tablespoon tomato PASTE
[1/4 cup soya or worcester sauce]

Toss everything except the cornflour into a small lidded saucepan.
Bring to the boil, and when almost at the boil, add a 1/2 cup of the liquor to the cornflour in a small jug to make a paste.
Turn down the heat and mix the paste into the liquor.
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The method here is not to boil the sauce, but to introduce wetted cornflour at the point where it will quickly blend to make a viscous sauce.

On my first effort I left the sauce on the heat for too long, trying to make a thick sauce. The taste and texture were good, but I could not decant the remainder to a bottle of jar for use the next day.

On my second effort I took the pan off the heat while it was threatening to turn viciously viscous, was able to decant it for the next day.
The decanted sauce will thicken up when it is added to your hot dish.

What hot dish?
I have new system for pre-cooking my rice.
I can dice an onion, toss a handful of raisins into two cups of my moist cooked rice, add the diced onion and slivers of raw carrot, microwave for a minute, pour over some sauce, then microwave for another two minutes.

Perfect for a cold night.
Cheers, Chris

[Skitterbug]

add a 1/2 cup of the liquor to the cornflour in a small jug to make a paste.
Turn down the heat and mix the paste into the liquor.

So I am puzzled.... what liquor are you using?

Do you mean to have 1/2 cup of - water? added to the cornflour to make the thickener to then be added to the rest of the ingredients that are almost boiling in the small pot on the cooking unit?

Yep - sign me totally confused but interested in trying this recipe - To be used over breaded chicken pieces or that rice you are indicating would be a tasty treat!

[ChrisGreaves]

add a 1/2 cup of the liquor to the cornflour in a small jug to make a paste.
Turn down the heat and mix the paste into the liquor.

So I am puzzled.... what liquor are you using?

Hello Skitterbug.
You are right. I shall have to stop using "liquor" as a term for "mixture" in cooking.
I grew up with it, but a quick three-way search of the internet turns up nothing but booze.

When I wrote "a 1/2 cup of the liquor" I was referring to the prepared mixture of water+sugar+vinegar; basically, enough of your existing liquid (see the proximity there? "liquid" & "liquor"?) to the powdered cornflour to make a a miscible (nowadays probably "mixable") paste. The paste will then blend easily into the hot liquid in your saucepan.

Steer clear of the booze. As Mr Larry Hunter used to drone as he read out our spelling test with in-context phrases "PORT is best LEFT alone".

Do you mean to have 1/2 cup of - water? added to the cornflour to make the thickener to then be added to the rest of the ingredients that are almost boiling in the small pot on the cooking unit?

Not at all. The quantities stated in the recipe are absolute.
If you have on hand only "3/4 cup white sugar and 2/3 cup water and 1/3 cup vinegar" then you are good to go; that's all you need.
BTW be careful where you pull out your hair when cooking.

... To be used over breaded chicken pieces or that rice you are indicating would be a tasty treat!

Truth is I have been using it over nearly everything since I started bottling (in squeeze bottles) the left-over sauce from each evening's batch. I think that to date only my morning oatmeal and afternoon slice of bread & butter have missed out.

I certainly am enjoying my "Sweet and Sour Pork and Carrot" of an evening.

As usual, one can add all sorts of gunk to this basic recipe - ground pepper, soy or Worcester sauce and so on, but I always aim for the basic recipe that can be identified as its title.

Cheers, Chris

[Skitterbug]

Thanks for the explanation, Chris. It reminds me a lot like the technique to prepare gravy - using the juice to mix with the thickener, etc. I do want to try this one! It sounds easy and should be the "taste" that I've been searching for (without the need to buy it, that is).

And yes, I'll watch my falling bits of hair. I usually wear a cap because I really dislike finding any hair in the food that I want to eat!

And I reckon I'll leave the liquor alone!

[ChrisGreaves]

... to prepare gravy - using the juice to mix with the thickener, etc. ...

Exactly!
"juice" (which is what bleeds out of the roast beef, right?)
Now the next time I want to post a S&S recipe, I'll ask you to write it up for me.

Tonight: Pasta with S&S.
Why not??!!!
Cheers, Chris

[Skitterbug]

Now the next time I want to post a S&S recipe, I'll ask you to write it up for me.

Tonight: Pasta with S&S.
Why not??!!!
Cheers, Chris

Chortle - what's hard about that one? Use your S&S recipe and dump it on pasta that is prepared by dumping a cup or two of whatever your favorite pasta may be - into boiling water for maybe a minute - then shut off the heat - put on the lid to the pan and let it sit until pasta is ready - maybe 10 minutes! Drain the water into your handy dandy recycling system and get ready to munch your pasta! I'm certain you can refine all of this and write it into a "proper" recipe? Me, I just cook.......!

[hlewton]

I was going to give this recipe to my wife to make when I thought it contained alcohol because she like Sweet & Sour Sauce. Maybe I'll still give it to her.

[hlewton]

I did give it to her with the explanation about the liguor. She immediately picked up on the term cornflour. Since it is used to make a thickener we came up with it being corn starch here in the colonies. So, she is going to try it. Thanks for the recipe.

[ChrisGreaves]

I did give it to her with the explanation about the liguor. She immediately picked up on the term cornflour. Since it is used to make a thickener we came up with it being corn starch here in the colonies. So, she is going to try it. Thanks for the recipe.

Try asking for either Cornflour or Cornstarch in Bonavista. : <Blank Look> until someone else passing by says "E be wantin' tickner!"

I have been slavishly roaming the web.
It is difficult to find a reference to "cooking" and "liquor" without getting pickled on over-proof rum or brandy.
I found this and this as references to "liquor: as a broth from boiling Greens".
Cheers, Chris

[hlewton]

I have been slavishly roaming the web.
It is difficult to find a reference to "cooking" and "liquor" without getting pickled on over-proof rum or brandy.
I found this and this as references to "liquor: as a broth from boiling Greens".
Cheers, Chris

I have watched a show called Moonshiners for a few years. If that term means the same to you as it does here, (making illegal liquor, alcohol) I wonder if they added yeast to the liquor you found and let it ferment for a week or so, how it would taste bottled and ready to drink.

[HansV]

"liquor: as a broth from boiling Greens"

For a moment, I read that as "liquor: as a broth from boiling Greaves"

[hlewton]

"liquor: as a broth from boiling Greens"

For a moment, I read that as "liquor: as a broth from boiling Greaves"

[ChrisGreaves]

For a moment, I read that as "liquor: as a broth from boiling Greaves"

Years ago, fer sure!
Cheers, Chris

[ChrisGreaves]

I have watched a show called Moonshiners for a few years. If that term means the same to you as it does here, (making illegal liquor, alcohol) I wonder if they added yeast to the liquor you found and let it ferment for a week or so, how it would taste bottled and ready to drink.

I don't have TV, but I do have a neighbour on one side who ... but that's another story.

Yeast will live (if not thrive) anywhere unless
(1) the environment is too acidic or
(2) the environment rises above about 14.5% alcohol

The articles mentioned drinking the broth as a health-drink, and that can't be much different from making "veggie smoothies" I think, in the blender.

Right now I can't think of a reason why yeast cells would not thrive in vegetable broth. After all, it works with potatoes, doesn't it!
Cheers, Chris

[hlewton]

I have watched a show called Moonshiners for a few years. If that term means the same to you as it does here, (making illegal liquor, alcohol) I wonder if they added yeast to the liquor you found and let it ferment for a week or so, how it would taste bottled and ready to drink.

I don't have TV, but I do have a neighbour on one side who ... but that's another story.

Yeast will live (if not thrive) anywhere unless
(1) the environment is too acidic or
(2) the environment rises above about 14.5% alcohol

The articles mentioned drinking the broth as a health-drink, and that can't be much different from making "veggie smoothies" I think, in the blender.

Right now I can't think of a reason why yeast cells would not thrive in vegetable broth. After all, it works with potatoes, doesn't it!
Cheers, Chris

Yep and in many other fruits and vegetables I see the moonshiners using.