Mandarin Sauce
Excellent sauce for meatballs, or to pour over deep fried chicken, fish or shrimp. Recipe can be doubled for extra sauce to freeze
Excellent sauce for meatballs, or to pour over deep fried chicken, fish or shrimp. Recipe can be doubled for extra sauce to freeze
- Carbohydrate 54.7423641977295 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 0.611381808197946 g
- Fiber 9.40832795435049 g
- Protein 9.19145581919563 g
- Saturated Fat 0.228825812690534 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (601g)
- Sodium 8761.09471114137 mg
- Sugar 45.334036243379 g
- Trans Fat 0.173678557835108 g
- Calories 246 calories
Step-by-step
- Combine all ingredients except green pepper in saucepan. Cook on low heat for 20 minutes.
- Thicken with corn starch in a small amount of water to desired consistency. Add green pepper near the end of cooking time. Let stand 2-4 minutes.
- This sauce freezes very well to make a quick mandarin chicken or shrimp dinner.
Why does a seemingly simple combination of sugar and fruit acid sometimes taste flat unless spiked with monosodium glutamate? Cooking sugar and cider vinegar together initiates a gentle inversion of sucrose while the acetic acid softens harsh fruit edges, but balancing these high-sugar profiles requires precise structural support. Understanding how each component reacts under heat ensures the final condiment coats fried proteins without breaking down.
Balancing Flavor Compounds and Thickeners
Acids inhibit starch gelatinization, which is why simmering the cider vinegar, crushed tomatoes, and pineapple before adding the cornstarch slurry prevents a watery finish. Dissolve the one to two tablespoons of cornstarch in cold water completely before stirring it into the simmering saucepan, preventing clumps from forming when the granules swell between 144 and 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Simmering the base for 20 minutes allows the ground ginger and cayenne pepper to release their fat-soluble and water-soluble compounds evenly throughout the liquid. Introducing the chopped green peppers near the final two minutes preserves their bright chlorophyll color and crisp cellular structure while taking the raw edge off their bite. Pouring the finished condiment over proteins like shrimp or meatballs immediately yields a glossy finish, though cooling it completely before transferring it to freezer-safe containers ensures safe storage for future meals.
- If the sauce remains too thin after adding the cornstarch slurry, mix an additional half-teaspoon of starch with cold water before whisking it in, as hot liquids will lump dry powders.
- If the flavor tastes excessively sharp, let the mixture rest for four minutes off the heat so the vinegar mellows against the sugar.
- If crushed tomatoes are unavailable, smooth tomato purée functions adequately without altering the required liquid ratio.
