HOW TO MAKE DUCK SAUCE
Fresh, preservative-free ingredients allow you to customize this recipe for homemade duck sauce to suit your tastes. The best part is that it is created with real ingredients and does not include high fructose corn syrup.
I worked in a number of Chinese restaurants in the 1980s that provided duck sauce, spicy mustard, a bowl of crispy fried noodles, and a pot of hot tea as standard fare for visitors when they were seated. We threw a couple packets into the bag for takeout/takeaway orders.
Many of your favorite Chinese restaurant dishes can now be made at home thanks to the recipes we’ve provided. But what if you made your own seasonings from scratch? Duck sauce may be made at home with this simple recipe.
SAUCE FOR DUCKS IS… WHAT IS IT?
Condiments like duck sauce, which is popular at Chinese-American takeaway restaurants, are commonly served with deep-fried foods like egg rolls and crab rangoon. In contrast to the salty and sour flavors of the fried foods, it has an orange tint and a thin, jelly-like consistency.
Duck sauce is available in a variety of flavors at restaurants and jars at supermarkets. Plums, apricots, peaches, sugar, vinegar, and salt are all popular ingredients.
Although the components on a packet of duck sauce aren’t always obvious, you’ll discover why making your own is a good idea! HFCS, artificial coloring, and preservatives are all common ingredients.
ASK YOURSELF, “WHY IS IT NAMED “DUCK SAUCE?”
Duck sauce’s origins are shrouded in mystery.
Wor shu opp, a Cantonese dish of deep-fried pressed duck, is sometimes said to have been served with the sauce.
Because of the sour plum flavor, the name may come from classic Chinese cuisine, such as the sour plum duck (one of my all-time favorite childhood foods).
This sauce has become a staple for dipping fried food in, regardless of its provenance.
WHY IS IT DIFFERENT FROM PUMPKIN SAUCE??
Duck sauce is purchased in 5-gallon buckets by Chinese eateries. All the Chinese restaurants I worked in had buckets of Wah Yoan Duck Sauce with the same red letters and logo. Until recently, they held a monopoly on duck sauce sales!
However, plum sauce brands such as Koon Chun produce a product that’s quite similar to Wah Yoan’s direct-to-consumer product or brand.
I believe that making your own duck sauce at home is the best way to go! The plastic packets of duck sauce will never be the same after you try this recipe!
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 salted pickled plum
- 3 tablespoons of apricot preserves
- 1 ½ tablespoons of hot water
- 2 teaspoons of sugar
- ½ teaspoon of liquid from salted pickled plum jar
- 1/4 teaspoon of rice vinegar
- 1/8 teaspoon of soy sauce
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Stir the sugar and hot water together until the sugar is dissolved. The apricot jam should be added.
- Pickled plum with pit removed; add to bowl. The plum should crumble because it is so delicate. Add 1/2 teaspoon of the pickled plum liquid, soy sauce, and rice vinegar after that.
- With a fork, blend all the ingredients until the duck sauce is well-combined. Remix the sauce after letting it settle for five minutes.
NOTES & TIPS: Feel free to modify this duck sauce recipe to suit your preferences. You can increase the sugar or apricot preserves if you prefer a sweeter sauce. Add more rice vinegar if you wish your sauce to be somewhat sour. Adding hot water will make it thinner.
In the refrigerator, this duck sauce should keep for several months.