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Dragon Sauce

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This unique spicy sauce is an Asian-style sauce that enhances the flavor of so many dishes. It can be used as a marinade for beef, pork, poultry, and seafood, and it’s even delicious on rice and veggies.

Dragon sauce is a must-have condiment in your kitchen, especially if you are looking for a new way to elevate your dishes.

It is nothing like Sriracha, as it is not super spicy. Still, you can make it spicier if you want by adding chili sauce or chili powder.

Is This A Thick Sauce?

This sauce is not thick, but also not too thin, just somewhere in the middle. It has cornstarch as a thickening agent, but just the right amount so it does not completely slide down through your rice or veggies. 

You can make the sauce thinner by removing the cornstarch and simmering the sauce without any.

I do recommend you add the starch because it will coat anything you will be using it with nicely. It can be a perfect glaze for your next pork roast or spiced chicken wings. 

Do I Need Vinegar In My Sauce?

If there was a trinity of hot sauce ingredients, it would be chili peppers, vinegar, and salt. Dragon sauce has these ingredients too, and instead of classic chili peppers, I have used hot chili sauce. 

The vinegar is a very important part of the sauce, and you cannot choose just any kind for this.

The vinegar is in the sauce for two reasons:

  • To preserve it
  • To enhance the tangy flavor

Speaking of flavor, vinegar is secretly the star of the show when it comes to hot sauce. It adds an unmistakable sour, tangy, and lip-smacking quality. For many, that flavor is indispensable. 

Different vinegars also add different flavors to a sauce. And if you know how to use them, they will bring an incredible depth to any recipe.

Choosing The Right Vinegar

There are a few different vinegars to choose from.

White Vinegar

White vinegar is by far most common in hot sauce. It is made from grain alcohol, so it has the most neutral taste out of any vinegar.

This makes it perfect as a foundation for other ingredients. You can think of it as a blank state that allows other flavors to shine through. Despite its neutral flavor, white vinegar is still sharp and forward. 

Apple Cider Vinegar

I used this one in the Dragon sauce. Since the vinegar is derived from apple cider, it has a sweeter, fruitier taste. It also has an incredibly distinct flavor, while still being softer than white vinegar.

White Wine Vinegar

This vinegar is made from white wine, and has a sweeter and more mellow taste. It is tart but does not have the same bite as white vinegar. It is perfectly in the middle, not too sweet, not too sour.

Rice Wine Vinegar

This is a very mild vinegar. It is commonly used for making sushi rice. Being mild vinegar, rice vinegar is best to pair with cider vinegar, or white wine vinegar.

Red Wine Vinegar

This type of vinegar is little less common than other vinegars, but still works great for some hot sauces.

I personally like this in sauces with smoky flavors. A lot of people like this vinegar because of its distinct flavor, which is slightly fruity.

You can use almost any of the vinegars listed here, with the exception of red wine vinegar. I leave that one for other sauces. 

Coconut Aminos Vs. Soy Sauce

Coconut aminos is a salty, savory seasoning sauce made from fermented sap of coconut palm and sea salt. The coconut aminos is similar in color and consistency to light soy sauce, making it an easy substitute in recipes.

It is not as rich as traditional soy sauce, and has a milder, sweeter flavor. You can choose coconut aminos if you are trying to cut down the sodium intake. 

Both of these are gluten-free, but coconut aminos are also suitable for people following certain diets, like low-carb or Keto. 

Should I Toast The Sesame Seeds?

Raw sesame seeds have a mild flavor, and you can use them as they are. But if you are looking for a bit deeper flavor, you can toast the seeds.

They will also provide a bit crunch with a delicious nutty flavor. You can toast the sesame seeds in a skillet over a stove, or in the oven using a baking sheet.

Dragon Sauce

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 5 minutes

Servings: 6

Ingredients

  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp minced ginger
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • ¾ cup chicken stock
  • ¼ cup raw cider vinegar
  • 3 tbsp honey
  • 2 tbsp hot sauce or for mild version, tomato sauce
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 tbsp water
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch
  • Sesame seeds, as desired

Instructions

1. Heat sesame seed oil in a sauce pot or deeper skillet.

2. Add ginger and garlic and cook until fragrant.

3. Add chicken stock, vinegar, honey, hot sauce or tomato sauce, soy sauce, salt, and pepper.

4. Bring the sauce to a simmer.

5. In the meantime, whisk the cornstarch with water to make a slurry.

6. Add the slurry to the sauce and cook until thickened.

7. Remove the sauce from the heat. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve as desired. 

Dragon Sauce

Dragon Sauce

Yield: 6 servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes

This spicy and tangy dragon sauce is perfect on noodle dishes, stir fry, egg rolls, and so much more!

Ingredients

  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp minced ginger
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • ¾ cup chicken stock
  • ¼ cup raw cider vinegar
  • 3 tbsp honey
  • 2 tbsp hot sauce or for mild version, tomato sauce
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 tbsp water
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch
  • Sesame seeds, as desired

Instructions

  1. Heat sesame seed oil in a sauce pot or deeper skillet.
  2. Add ginger and garlic and cook until fragrant.
  3. Add chicken stock, vinegar, honey, hot sauce or tomato sauce, soy sauce, salt, and pepper.
  4. Bring the sauce to a simmer.
  5. In the meantime, whisk the cornstarch with water to make a slurry.
  6. Add the slurry to the sauce and cook until thickened.
  7. Remove the sauce from the heat. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve as desired. 

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