“Master” Noodle Sauce
I came up with this sauce almost 10 years ago. I can’t remember why, but I always called it the “Master” sauce. It didn’t have anything to do with it being a versatile sauce or a play on the 5 mother sauces of French cuisine. I just thought “Master” sauce sounded cool and I always imagined a kung-fu master as the logo if I ever bottled the sauce for sale.
The “Master” sauce goes great with stir fried noodle dishes like lo mein or soba. At Corazon, I served it with fresh ramen noodles as a mazeman, which is just the Japanese term for no broth ramen. That recipe will be coming soon…
Ingredients
Makes more than one serving
3 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. oyster sauce
1 tbsp. rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp. sambal
1 tbsp. sugar
4 tbsp. water (to start)
1. Whisk all the ingredients together until the sugar has dissolved.
2. Adjust the taste depending on your preferences. Add more water, 1 tbsp. at a time to dilute the flavor. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. Store in the fridge until you need it. If you used fresh lemon juice, the sauce will develop a slight bitter taste the longer it sits.
Notes:
What is oyster sauce? A viscous, umami bomb of a condiment. Traditionally made by slowly simmering oysters in water until the juices caramelized, it’s hard to find a version that isn’t loaded with sugar and cornstarch these days… Well, that’s just the way it is and oyster sauce is still a must have condiment.
What is sambal? Think of it as a more advanced sriracha. Sambal is an Indonesian condiment primarily made of crushed raw red chilis, vinegar, and salt. If you don’t have sambal, use sriracha. If you don’t have either, use a small jalapeno. If you don’t have that, just give up.