Global Grilling
Singapore Peanut Sauce
Singapore Peanut Sauce
Recipe Notes
- Yield: Makes 2 cups
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 5 cloves garlic, 2 cloves minced and 3 cloves thinly sliced crosswise
- 1 shallot, minced
- 1 stalk lemongrass, trimmed and minced (or 2 strips lemon zest)
- 1 to 3 small hot chiles, seeded and minced (for hotter peanut sauce, leave the seeds in)
- 1 tablespoon dried shrimp, minced, or 1 teaspoon fish sauce (optional)
- 3/4 cup peanut butter
- 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk or light cream, or as needed
- 2 tablespoons sugar (or to taste)
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice (or to taste)
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro
- Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper
Recipe Steps
Step 1: Heat the oil in a wok or saucepan over medium high heat. Add the 2 cloves minced garlic, shallot, lemongrass, chiles, and dried shrimp (if using). Fry until fragrant and lightly browned, 2 minutes.
Step 2: Stir in the peanut butter, coconut milk, sugar, soy sauce, fish sauce (if using in place of dried shrimp), lime juice, and 3/4 cup water. Reduce heat and gently simmer the sauce until thick but pourable and richly flavored, 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in the cilantro the last 2 minutes.
Step 3: Meanwhile, heat the remaining 3 tablespoons oil in a small frying pan. Add the sliced garlic and fry over medium heat until just beginning to brown. Do not burn or the garlic will become bitter. Drain the garlic through a strainer over a heatproof bowl.
Step 4: Just before serving, stir the fried garlic slices into the sauce. Sauce should be thick but not pasty: add a tablespoon or so of water as needed. Correct the seasoning, adding sugar, salt, and/or pepper to taste.
