HOISIN SAUCE

Traditionally hoisin sauce is made with fermented wheat and soy beans.  It is flavoured with five spice powder and is robust, sweet and garlicky.

While gluten-free versions are available, we prefer to make our own and use black bean sauce as the base for our hoisin sauce. You'll find our g-f black bean sauce recipe in our 'Salty Spice' blog under 'Other' in 'What's Cooking'.

Once you have your gluten-free black bean sauce, home made or purchased, then making our Hoisin is a ten minute exercise. 

Here we’ve used it very simply with green beans, garlic and chilli but its uses are pretty endless.  I like to mix it with some yoghurt, chilli and lime juice and slather it all over a halved and flattened chicken ready to roast with half a cup of water in the baking dish for moisture during the roasting process and to help produce a delicious sauce.

A family favourite is to marinate pork spare ribs in hoisin before slow-baking to produce tender, melting-off-the-bone meat. Then we throw the ribs on a hot barbeque to give a delicious, smoky, charred finish.

Peel and quarter small red onions, toss in vegetable oil, hoisin sauce and a little chilli and roast on a low heat, tossing from time to time until caramelised.

Hoisin adds flavour and complexity to stir fries and marinades and makes a delicious dipping sauce for anything from Peking duck to steamed dumplings.

Go on, mix up a batch, keep it in the fridge and throw it over whatever takes your fancy.

Rosie

HOISIN SAUCE

Makes 250mls

100      gm palm sugar
3          tablespoons g-f black bean sauce
2          tablespoons g-f soy sauce
1          tablespoon rice vinegar
4          fresh dates, pitted
½         teaspoon sesame oil
½         teaspoon Chinese five spice powder
2          tablespoons water
1          pinch of chilli powder, or to taste

Place all ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth. 

Transfer to a sterilised jar and store in the fridge.

 

GREEN BEANS WITH GARLIC, CHILLI AND HOISIN SAUCE

Serves 8 as an accompaniment to a meal

40        mls vegetable oil
600      gm fresh, green beans
4          long red chillies, halved lengthways and seeded
50        mls g-f hoisin sauce
4          cloves garlic, finely sliced
            Sea salt flakes

Heat the vegetable oil in a wok and when smoking, add the green beans and stir- fry for 2-3 minutes or until almost tender.  Add the chillies, hoisin sauce and garlic and stir-fry for a further minute or until the beans are just cooked.

Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle with sea salt flakes to taste.

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