Spicy Peanut-Lime Vinaigrette

[ironchef]

Serve this Thai inspired sauce with chicken, pork, shrimp, scallops, lobster, or whatever you feel like:

Spicy Peanut-Lime Vinaigrette

Yield: Approx 2 cups

Ingredients:

1/2 c. Unsalted, preferrably organic, creamy Peanut Butter
Juice of 2 limes + the zest
1/4 c. Rice Wine Vinegar
1/2 c. Mirin or Simple Syrup
2 Thai or Serrano Chilis, seeds removed
1 Tbsp. Fresh Ginger, minced
2 tsp. Fresh Garlic, chopped
2 Tbsp. Dark Soy Sauce
2 Tbsp. Cold Water
2 tsp. Fish Sauce
1/4 c. Chinese Peanut Oil
2 Tbsp. Fresh Mint, chopped
1 Tbsp. Fresh Cilantro, chopped
1/4 c. Unsalted Roasted Peanuts, chopped
Kosher Salt to taste

Method:

In a blender or food processor, combine the first ten ingredients and pulse until incorporated. Slowly drizzle in the peanut oil, and blend until emulsified. Add the mint and cilantro, and pulse for a few seconds until the herbs are incorporated. Season to taste with salt, and stir in the roasted peanuts. Refrigerate until service.

 

[buckytom]

thanks iron chef. i have been buying a jarred ginger-peanut-lime sauce and adding soy sauce for dipping seared ahi slices, but it was missing something. i think your sauce might do it...

 

[ironchef]

The ginger in this sauce is more complimentary, rather than dominating. If you want a stronger ginger flavor, decrease the chilis to just one, and increase the ginger to 3 Tbsp.

Let me know how you like it. You can always tweak the individual flavors to get what you're looking for once it's blended

 

[lyndalou]

This looks great. Not sure that I will be able to find Chinese peanut oil, though. Can I use just regular peanut oil in this without compromising the flavor?

 

[jennyema]

it will taste a lot different without "chinese" peanut oil (made somewhere ins asia). Peanut oil is easily found in any asian market and in the asian aisle of many big supermarkets,

If you leave out the peanut butter in this rtecipe, you can use it on cucumber/carrot/daikon salad like the condiment served in thai and vietnamese restaurants.

 

[buckytom]

mmmm, i love thai cuke salad. i think it's called tum tang, if memory serves me right. lemme see...

in searching for the name of the salad i found a really good site. i'll post the link for a good asian veggie and herb reference (in an appropriate category, if i can figure out which one ).
here's the link so i don't lose it:

http://www.supatra.com/pages/thaiveggies.html

 

[jennyema]

YUM! Thanks for the link BT!

 

[Claire]

Oh, dear. My cilantro just bolted, but maybe I can get this much out of it. Yumm!