Oyster sauce is a widely used condiment in Chinese cuisine. The homemade ones don't exactly taste the same as the commercial ones, but they are simple to prepare and tasty.
Ingrediants
Quick Recipe
For 60-80 ml of sauce
- 40 ml of soy sauce.
- 20-25ml canned oyster liquid.
- 8-16 g of granulated sugar.
Traditional recipe
For 125-250 ml of sauce
- 225 g of shelled oysters with their liquid.
- 15 ml of water.
- A pinch of salt.
- 30-60 ml of light soy sauce.
- 7, 5-15 ml of dark soy sauce.
Vegan recipe
For 500-625 ml of sauce
- 50 g of shiitake mushrooms.
- 20 g of flax seeds.
- 22.5 ml of olive oil.
- 7, 5 ml of sesame oil.
- 7.5-10 cm finely sliced ginger root.
- 500 ml of water.
- 15 ml of dark soy sauce.
- 15 ml of light soy sauce.
- 8 g of sugar.
- 1/2 tablespoon of salt.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Quick Recipe
Step 1. Store the liquid from a jar of oysters
You will need 20 ml, pour it into a bowl.
You don't need real oysters for this recipe. You can use them in another preparation, in fact just pour them into an airtight container and place them in the fridge, where they will keep for up to 2 weeks
Step 2. Mix the liquid with the soy sauce
Pour in 40 ml and mix thoroughly with a whisk.
- You can use dark, light soy sauce, or a combination of the two.
- Alternatively, if you don't have soy, you can use teriyaki sauce.
Step 3. Add the sugar
Pour 8g into the liquid and whisk quickly to dissolve it completely.
Step 4. Adjust seasoning if needed
Taste the oyster sauce and add another 5ml of oyster juice and / or another 8g of sugar if you wish. Mix.
You can also increase the amount of soy sauce, but do it very carefully, or the result will be too tangy topping. Neither the sweetness of the sugar nor the flavor of the soy should prevail
Step 5. Use it immediately or keep it
You can consume it right away, but if you prefer to keep it for a second time, pour it into an airtight plastic or glass container and store it in the fridge for up to a week.
Method 2 of 3: Traditional Recipe
Step 1. Cut the shelled oysters
Drain them and keep the liquid and with a kitchen knife cut them into coarse pieces.
- You can use pre-shelled oysters instead of fresh ones.
- The shellfish will later be filtered out of the sauce, so don't worry about cutting them into neat pieces. Making them smaller allows you to release the flavor faster - that's why they cut them.
Step 2. Combine the oysters with the water and their liquid
Pour everything into a saucepan.
Step 3. Bring the ingredients to a boil
Place the saucepan over medium heat until the liquid begins to boil vigorously.
Stir occasionally to prevent the shellfish from sticking to the bottom
Step 4. Let it simmer for 10 minutes
Reduce the heat to medium-low, letting the liquid simmer gently; cover the saucepan and cook for 10 minutes.
Check for doneness during this time. It is not necessary to mix, but you must be sure that the liquid continues to simmer, adjust the intensity of the fire if necessary
Step 5. Add the salt
Remove the saucepan from the heat and add a pinch of salt while stirring.
Step 6. Separate the liquid
Pour the contents of the saucepan through a colander. Save the liquid and discard the solid part.
- If you prefer to store cooked oysters, you can transfer them to an airtight glass or plastic container and store them in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Return the liquid to the saucepan after filtering it.
Step 7. Add the soy sauces
Pour in 30-60ml of the clear sauce and mix well. Then add the 7.5-15ml of the dark one and keep stirring.
- Using both sauces gives the final product a much more intense flavor, however if you only have one available, pour 37.5-75 ml.
- If you're not sure how much soy sauce to incorporate, start with small doses. Taste the result and add more if you want a stronger flavor.
Step 8. Boil and then reduce the heat for another 10 minutes
Return the saucepan to the stove and heat it until the liquid begins to boil. At this point, lower the heat to medium-low and let it simmer for 10 minutes.
Close the saucepan with the lid. The sauce should thicken because some of the liquid evaporates, but the process will be hampered if you let go of the lid
Step 9. Use the sauce right away or save it
Let it cool for a couple of minutes before adding it to your recipe. If you prefer to save it for a later recipe, pour it into an airtight glass or plastic container and store it in the fridge, it will keep for a week.
Method 3 of 3: Vegan Recipe
Step 1. Soak the mushrooms and flax seeds
Place them in two separate bowls and pour the water into each to absorb it for a full 4 hours.
- Put the mushrooms on a plate and add 2.5 cm of water. Leave them to soak for 4 hours then drain and rinse them under running water. Cut them into strips and leave them aside.
- Put the flax seeds in a small bowl and add 60ml of water. Leave them to soak for 4 hours, the seeds will absorb the water.
Step 2. Heat the olive oil
Pour it into a medium saucepan or deep saucepan. Turn the heat on to medium-high level.
Step 3. Sauté the ginger
Add the slices to the boiling oil and sauté them in a pan, stirring occasionally until they turn golden.
Remove the ginger from the oil when ready. Leave it aside for now
Step 4. Add the mushrooms and sesame oil
Reduce the heat and sauté the mushrooms for several minutes until the sesame oil begins to absorb the aroma.
You have to cook these ingredients for just one minute, and the heat will begin to spread the aroma of the sesame oil
Step 5. Add the salt and soy sauce
Sauté everything for 30-60 seconds so that the ingredients are fully incorporated.
If you don't have light and dark soy sauce, use 30ml of what you have on hand
Step 6. Add sugar and water
Pour the water and sugar into the saucepan, mixing them so that they are incorporated with the other ingredients. Body the pan and let it simmer for 10 minutes.
Check the contents of the saucepan. It is not necessary to mix it, but you must be sure that it continues to simmer for 10 minutes; adjust the focus if necessary
Step 7. Remove the pan from the stove and transfer the mixture to a large bowl
Wait for it to reach room temperature.
Step 8. Blend the flax seeds
Pour them into the cold sauce along with the ginger and then all in the blender. Operate the appliance on pulses until you get a smooth and homogeneous mixture.
There is no need to strain the sauce, each solid piece will be small enough to go unnoticed
Step 9. Heat the sauce for 5 minutes
Pour the puree into the saucepan and cook it again, stirring constantly for 5 minutes over low heat.
Basically you just have to heat the sauce, it must neither boil nor simmer
Step 10. Bring it to the table or use it for another occasion
If you decide to keep it, store it in an airtight glass or plastic container and then in the refrigerator. It will last about a week.
