Sichuan / Szechuan sauce
I don’t know about you, but when I think of Chinese cuisine, my mind usually either jumps to delicious rice dishes or some stir fry with hot and spicy Sichuan sauce.
Since I have already posted my favourite ‘fake-away’ Chinese Fried Rice recipe here, today I will be sharing my recipe for Szechuan / Sichuan sauce with you.
Main ingredient for any Sichuan dish is Sichuan pepper (find out more about this great and versatile spice here), a citrusy, fragrant and tingly spice.
In case you have not heard the name 'Sichuan' before and are wondering: it is called after the southwestern Chinese Sichuan province (it’s where the giant pandas live, so take me there already! Great wildlife and great food, what more could I ask for?).
The greatest thing about my Sichuan sauce recipe is that it only takes 15 minutes (literally!) to cook and can turn any stir fried vegetables or meats into a delicious dish!
Sichuan sauce is, by the way, the main ingredient for Kung Pao chicken, so if you have chicken, veggies and peanuts, just stir fry them and add the Sichuan sauce.
And just look at this photo: it’s wok fried veggies with 1/2 cup of Sichuan sauce and a tablespoon of crushed nuts and sesame. All done in a quarter of an hour.
My Sichuan sauce tastes so good you’ll want to bottle it!
I’m not even joking, my better half keeps telling me I should bottle and sell the sauce and we have been known to actually not only store jars full of it in our fridge but also bring it along as hospitality gift when visiting friends. I have an inkling they might keep inviting us just for the sake of the sauce - and now I wonder if sharing my recipe online will see a decline in our invitations ;-)
Equipment you will need
All you will need to make this recipe is a non-stick pot or pan (*) and mortar and pestle (*) to grind your Sichuan peppercorns.
If you can’t find Shao Xing rice cooking wine in your local Asian store, you can buy it from amazon here (*)
By the way, to keep results consistent, I use measuring cups and spoons (*)
(* affiliate links)
Alas, enough of the talk. Are you ready to cook? Then let’s get our aprons, I’ll see you in the kitchen. And I’d love for you to leave me a comment below.
Xoxo Rena
Sichuan / Szechuan sauce
Sichuan or Szechuan sauce is a sweet and spicy Chinese dipping sauce that only takes 15 minutes to cook and can turn any stir fried vegetables or meats into a delicious dish!
Fact Sheet
Category: Sauce Cuisine: Dips & Sauces Asian Dairy free Gluten free Vegetarian Low fat under 1 hour under 30 minutes Cooking Method: cooking Diet: Gluten Free Low Lactose Vegetarian Preparation Time: 5 minutes Total Time: 15 minutes Servings: 2Ingredients
- 1.5 cups (350ml) chicken broth
- 1/3 cup (70ml) soy sauce
- 1/3 cup (70ml) Shao Xing rice cooking wine
- 1 TBSP rice vinegar
- 1 TBSP fish sauce
- 3 TBSP brown sugar
- 2 TBSP honey
- 2 TBSP corn starch
- 1/2 fresh chilli pepper, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves
- 2 tsp fresh chopped ginger (or 1 tsp powdered ginger
- 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns, ground
- (Optional: 1 TBSP Hoisin sauce)
Instructions
- Mix chicken stock and corn starch and stir until well resolved (this works best if the stock is still warm). Set this slurry aside.
- Mix all the other ingredients together in a non stick pot or pan, boil and let simmer for 10 minutes.
- Stir in the slurry and let simmer for another 3-5 minutes, until your sauce has thickened and a nice sheen.
- Serve with vegetables, rice, noodles or meat. Garnish with peanuts or sesame seeds.
- The sauce can also be enjoyed cold as dipping sauce or as side for your BBQ.
