In the comments to last week’s post on peanut butter, Peanut Butter — An Overeater’s Tips, Margot of Joyfully Retired asked for the peanut sauce recipe we use for stir-fry. We aim to please!
We usually use this sauce with a stir-fry of onions, sliced chicken, and a wok full of cooking greens. We stir in cooked soba noodles at the last minute and top the servings with a few peanuts. I use a combination of greens, often kale and chard because that’s what I grow in my garden. This week I added spinach and tatsoi to the mix because they were in our CSA box.
We eat this once or twice a week all year round. It’s the highest fat and highest sodium dish in our normal repertoire, but it will get us to eat so many greens that we consider it a healthy meal in our diet.
I’m lax about measurements with most sauces, marinades, and dressings, but I measure everything in this sauce because my chef (aka as my husband, Rick) prefers it to be consistent. I use chicken stock if I have it, otherwise I’ll substitute whey (a side product from making yogurt cheese) or water. The only other change I make is adding extra honey if the greens are really bitter, like collards.
Since there’s starch in the sauce, it needs to be brought to a boil. Rick, the chef for this dish, pushes the stir-fry up on the walls of the wok when it’s done, dumps the sauce in the middle and brings it to a boil until it thickens a bit. Then we add the soba noodles while stirring everything all together.
Peanut Sauce for Stir-Fry
by Joy Weese Moll
2 Tablespoons light soy sauce
3 Tablespoons chicken stock (or whey or water)
1.5 Tablespoons peanut butter
2 Tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon starch (tapioca or corn)
Mix all ingredients in food processor or blender. Bring to a boil and allow to thicken slightly. Serves 2.
There must be many versions of peanut sauce. Do you have a favorite recipe?
