In my last post I recommended a vegetable and said it was great with an oyster sauce mixture on top. In case any of you are interested in making that dish or are inspired to make some Chinese food because of Asian April, I feel that I must provide you with a few warnings tonight.
Oyster sauce - it's been an ingredient that I have stayed far far away from because of the first word in its name. However, it is a very popular ingredient for Chinese dishes, so after much careful thought (and self persuasion), I bought it. It has now been used four times in our kitchen and I feel that there are three crucial pieces of information about oyster sauce that you need to know:
1) It is like ketchup in a glass jar - ridiculously difficult to get out. In addition, its consistency is thicker than ketchup. In other words, do not plan on just pulling it out of the fridge - yes, it needs to be refrigerated - and pouring some in your wok like you would soy sauce. This will not happen. Here's how I propose you do it: keep it in the fridge upside down. When getting ready to cook, put it in a glass - still upside down - of hot water. After a few minutes, start the long task of getting it out with a utensil. Do this long before you need to use the oyster sauce.
This brings me to the second piece of information. When using the utensil to get it out of the jar, you will undoubtedly get oyster sauce on your fingers. 2) Do not lick any tiny amount of oyster sauce off your fingers. To say it more strongly, never eat oyster sauce on its own in any amount. If you do, this will surely destroy any pleasure you have in cooking with oyster sauce for the rest of your life.
Now that I've completely scared you away from oyster sauce, let me get to number three. 3) You will enjoy food that you have made with oyster sauce, as it tastes like you expect Chinese food to taste. Without it, the food just won't be right. Even if you have accidentally tasted oyster sauce on its own, once it is mixed with other ingredients, you will like it. So do not stay away from it out of fear.
2 comments:
No one in Thailand keeps their oyster sauce in the frig. I think it has enough salt to stay safe!
You do have to shake it hard to get it out .. part of the experience I guess! Oyster sauce is lovely in omlettes. Glad that you found out how wonderful oyster sauce is!
you don't have to keep it in the fridge, I know a kid from Laos and he doesn't. it does make the food taste delicious
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