Sauce making help?

[Cooking4Fun]

Is there a good systematic way to create sauces? Like I kind of know some ingredients that make sense, but not sure what it should be. I want to replicate a sauce I had once.

[buckytom]

What sauce do you want to make?

[karadekoolaid]

There´s taco sauce, mint sauce, tomato sauce, béchamel sauce, gravy, chocolate sauce...
And they´re all different! So where do you want to start?

[msmofet]

Yes, please tell us what type of sauce you want to make. Then we will be able to better help you.

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

First, If I'm reading this right, welcome back BT. You have been missed.

As for sauces, there is a thread that gives the basics of French sauces, which can be adapted to most sauces - https://www.discusscooking.com/forum...ces-21001.html

Many sauces, such as Mornay, and Alfredo (sauces of Bechemel combined with cheese, Gruyere, and Parmigiano Reggiano), is accomplished by grating the cheese (avoid pre-shredded cheese which contains anti-caking agents), making the béchamel, removing from the heat, and folding the shredded cheese into the Bechemel until a smooth sauce forms. The cheese is incorporated off heat to avoid overheating the sauce, which will cause the cheese to speperate, and clump together (breaking the sauce).

Sauces using whole eggs, egg whites, or egg yolks are made by combining the eggs with sugar, and then tempering by bringing hot liquid, usually milk or cream, to a gentle simmer, then pouring a small amount of the hot liquid into the egg mixture to temper it. The tempered egg is then poured into the hot liquid, while vigorously stirring over very low heat until it thickens. The prevents the egg from creating bits of scrambled eggs in the sauce. This technique is use for making pastry cream, lemon curd, egg nog, etc.

Chocolate sauce is obtained by combining shaved, or cut chocolate with cream, in a double boiler. The top pan is not to touch the water. Also, great care must be taken to prevent any water from getting onto the chocolate sauce, as this will cause the sauce to seize (separate into crumbly bits, and fat).

Finding good recipes, and following the basic rules for sauce making, you can create taco sauce (mole sauce), queso dip/sauce, Pasta sauces, and virtually any sauce, from anywhere in the world.

The spices, herbs, and ingredients will change. But all foods react the same way to heat, emulsifiers, and technique.

As stated by the others, if there is a particular sauce, or set of sauces you want to learn how to make, don't be shy. Just ask us. There are some very, very knowledgeable people on DC who can give direction.

Seeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

[Cooking4Fun]

Pizza hut had a spicy Asian wing sauce once, which I think they changed with a chili sauce which wasn't nearly as good. Not sure what is in it besides maybe sesame.

[karadekoolaid]

Spicy Asian wing sauce?
Again, could be a thousand sauces.
A simple spicy (Indonesian) satay sauce can be made by getting your blender out and throwing in :
3-4 tbsps peanut butter
a couple of green onions
a small piece of fresh ginger
a couple of hot peppers
a clove of garlic
cilantro leaf
a piece of lemon peel
a good splash of soy sauce
a splash of fish sauce (optional)
a splash of vinegar
a tsp or two of sugar
a squeeze of tomato paste
a bit of water
Salt & pepper to taste

Blitz the whole lot together, adjust flavours if necessary. Great with wings, chicken skewers, grilled pork, etc.

[taxlady]

Mix sugar with the eggs before tempering? Really? I have never done that. I certainly wouldn't do it with a savoury sauce, like avgolemono (Greek lemon - egg sauce).

[GotGarlic]

People often try to come up with a version of commercial foods. I found this by doing a search for the sauce name. I have no idea how similar this tastes to the real thing, but it's a place to start..

[Andy M.]

Originally Posted by Cooking4Fun

Pizza hut had a spicy Asian wing sauce once, which I think they changed with a chili sauce which wasn't nearly as good. Not sure what is in it besides maybe sesame.

I think it's worth a try to contact their corporate offices asking for the recipe for their discontinued sauce. I've had luck getting a recipe that way.

[Cooking4Fun]

Originally Posted by GotGarlic

People often try to come up with a version of commercial foods. I found this by doing a search for the sauce name. I have no idea how similar this tastes to the real thing, but it's a place to start..
Attachment 50735

Think I tried that recipe. Don't think I found a good chili sauce for it. It didn't taste quite right.

[Cooking4Fun]

Originally Posted by karadekoolaid

Spicy Asian wing sauce?
Again, could be a thousand sauces.
A simple spicy (Indonesian) satay sauce can be made by getting your blender out and throwing in :
3-4 tbsps peanut butter
a couple of green onions
a small piece of fresh ginger
a couple of hot peppers
a clove of garlic
cilantro leaf
a piece of lemon peel
a good splash of soy sauce
a splash of fish sauce (optional)
a splash of vinegar
a tsp or two of sugar
a squeeze of tomato paste
a bit of water
Salt & pepper to taste

Blitz the whole lot together, adjust flavours if necessary. Great with wings, chicken skewers, grilled pork, etc.

What hot peppers would you suggest?

[Cooking4Fun]

Originally Posted by Andy M.

I think it's worth a try to contact their corporate offices asking for the recipe for their discontinued sauce. I've had luck getting a recipe that way.

I don't know if they discontinued the sauce. They had it when wings were introduced at the local pizza hut then changed up. Might have been promotional to get people to try the wings then went with the cheap alternative. Lol.

[Andy M.]

Originally Posted by Cooking4Fun

I don't know if they discontinued the sauce. They had it when wings were introduced at the local pizza hut then changed up. Might have been promotional to get people to try the wings then went with the cheap alternative. Lol.

It’s still worth asking. Costs you nothing.

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

My idea of Asian Hot Wings would be this: https://www.seriouseats.com/the-best...chinese-recipe

Use the chicken coating for your wings. Replace the wine from the recipe with sherry, or omit. I would also add a tbs. of crushed red chili flakes to the sauce, and use birds eye chilies for the peppers.

The chicken coating is basically a tempura coating without the added liquid, and makes for very light and crispy end results. Add 3/4 cup of sparkling water to turn it into a tempura batter if you desire,

that should give you just what you're looking for, not too sweet, a hit of acidity, and good heat.

I hope this helps.

Seeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

[buckytom]

Originally Posted by Cooking4Fun

Think I tried that recipe. Don't think I found a good chili sauce for it. It didn't taste quite right.

There are a few ideas about chili garlic sauce. It can be savory, such as samba (Huy Fong Sambal Oelek Is the best); or it can be sweet, such as Nam Chim (Mae Ploy brand is the best.)

Using one or the other can change a recipe entirely.

[buckytom]

I was kinda hoping for a thread about a way to make pan sauces.

They seem so simple by just scraping and deglazing, but there's a trick to adding fresh herbs, adjusting seasoning, mounting with butter, adding a slurry or roux, and so on.

[karadekoolaid]

Originally Posted by Cooking4Fun

What hot peppers would you suggest?

I don´t think it really matters too much. Something a bit zingy, like a Thai green chile; a bird chile, a cayenne pepper, a chile de arbol.
I´d probably avoid habaneros or anything stronger.

[karadekoolaid]

Originally Posted by buckytom

There are a few ideas about chili garlic sauce. It can be savory, such as samba (Huy Fong Sambal Oelek Is the best); or it can be sweet, such as Nam Chim (Mae Ploy brand is the best.)

Using one or the other can change a recipe entirely.

I have to admit that, in my ignorance, I thought all SE Asian hot sauces were the same.
But having made a lot of them over the past few years, i realise they are not. It´s a whole new world for hot sauce fans.
Indonesian sambals are often made with dried red chiles and fish sauce, or peanuts, which gives them a rich, dark flavour. Thai sauces tend to use fresh chiles, which add citric notes to the sauces (often really incendiary)
Vietnamese sauces use chiles as flavouring - mixed with soy, ginger, etc.
Chinese hot sauces are intense, loads of garlic, fermented peppers, and so on.

[Cooking4Fun]

The emphasis wasn't on it being a hot sauce. It mostly has a asian type flavor. Maybe sesame and ground ginger type flavors. I am told Buffalo Wild Wings has a similar sauce.