Need a strong Asian brown sauce (aka stir fry sauce)

[FeChef]

Struggling with all these bland stir fry sauce recipes im finding online. Went to a hole in the wall chinese takeout in some run down shopping center while working. Got the lunch special chicken w/broccoli. Omg was the brown sauce thick, dark, and delicious. Now i got the bug again to find a recipe that even remotely comes close to this taste in my mouth. Help me out. I am sure i am not the only one that has tasted the difference between a brown sauce that is either thin and bland, or thick and bland like a gravy, i am hunting for that almost syrup sauce.

[heidih]

This sauce for gai lan sounds lke it might fit the bill. I've usually used it on the Chinese broccoli sure it would translate in general. https://www.recipetineats.com/restaurant-style-chinese-broccoli-oyster-sauce/

[FeChef]

14 minutes ago, heidih said:

This sauce for gai lan sounds lke it might fit the bill. I've usually used it on the Chinese broccoli sure it would translate in general. https://www.recipetineats.com/restaurant-style-chinese-broccoli-oyster-sauce/

I am going to use that as a starting point. I think i will sub the water for either chicken stock or beef stock. I am not going to count that recipe out just yet, but the pictures in that link don't quite come close to the color or consistency of what i am looking for. To be honest, its almost the consistency of oyster sauce, but not quite as potent as oyster sauce.

[Duvel]

I would do the stir-fry as you'd normally do, and add copious amounts of oyster sauce, large pinch of sugar, large pinch of MSG. The result will be a dark & very savory type of pan sauce, made from the oil, reduced liquids in your fry and the oyster sauce as a booster/emulsifier (and no need for corn starch) ... That's pretty much what the take-outs do.

Edited October 9, 2018 by Duvel (log)

[rotuts]

Im sure many know this :

 

when purchasing Oyster Sauce

 

read the label carefully

 

Oyster should be listed first if possible.

 

most brands list " Oyster flavored "  is not what you want.

 

https://www.chowhound.com/post/oyster-sauce-brand-matter-718610

[FeChef]

7 hours ago, rotuts said:

Im sure many know this :

 

when purchasing Oyster Sauce

 

read the label carefully

 

Oyster should be listed first if possible.

 

most brands list " Oyster flavored "  is not what you want.

 

https://www.chowhound.com/post/oyster-sauce-brand-matter-718610

I have a few asian markets near me that i go to on a regular basis. Do you have a brand in mind i should look for. Last time i bought a bottle i believe i bought the lee kum kee in a plastic squeeze bottle. It would be nice to know what brand most restuarants use, as i am sure they buy in bulk for a better price.(that stuff gets expensive)

[heidih]

I know there is the caveat about oyster sauce sometimes being "oyster poor" but I imagine that the average restaurant goes for economy. Lee Kum Kee is a pretty respected  middle of the road brand. That is my usual - I don't use it that often.

Edited October 9, 2018 by heidih (log)

[FeChef]

47 minutes ago, heidih said:

I know there is the caveat about oyster sauce sometimes being "oyster poor" but I imagine that the average restaurant goes for economy. Lee Kum Kee is a pretty respected  middle of the road brand. That is my usual - I don't use it that often.

 

Yeah, I will most likely buy another bottle of Lee Kum Kee, make a basic brown sauce, and add the LKK oyster sauce till consistency and taste are just right. I might test this with a local chinese takeout that is for my taste on the "bland side" and see if that is the flavor i am missing.

Edited October 9, 2018 by FeChef (log)

[rotuts]

@FeChef

 

Im not a fan of LKK, in general

 

Ive tasted many of their items

 

but frequently to me there is better :

 

Koon Chun

 

 

that being said 

 

Panda does well

 

here is a picture of three I have on hand.  the one on the L was in the refrigerator , the other two

 

 

in my Pantry that's way over full.

 

I haven't used OS in a while

 

noted that the LKK is " Special "

 

???

 

anyway all three on the back start with Oyster Extract  , not Oyster Flavor

 

Id go to you local , large is possible , and look at the ingredient list on the OS.

 

get those that start w oyster extract and taste them

 

none of he above cost more than $ 2.50 a bottle

 

I can't imagine OS is worth a premium price if you have to use the Internet to get a bottle

 

when thou have a Chinese or Oriental market near you or worth a visit.

 

 

 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

Just for fun I checked the ingredients of the bottle in my refrigerator:  water, sugar, salt, oysters...

 

[mgaretz]

That sauce is recipe is OK - it has some of the ingredients that make your sauce at home taste like you get in an American Chinese restaurant (not claiming it's authentic Chinese).  To get that flavor you also need to add a touch of red pepper flakes.  Not enough so you feel the heat, but there's an undertone you need from them.  As someone who doesn't like spicy hot things, I always left the pepper flakes out, but a cooking class taught me different.   Sesame oil, garlic, fresh ginger and sugar are also key ingredients, but they are in that sauce recipe.  I would probably omit the water and vegetable oil and up the sugar, but I also use cream sherry which also adds sweetness. FWIW, I haven't used oyster sauce in years - just soy.  Bu then I usually also add Hoisin sauce because I like that flavor profile, and I don't have any issue with LKK's version.

Edited October 12, 2018 by mgaretz (log)

[Beebs]

Add a teensy splash of chinkiang vinegar (black vinegar) at the end - it really brightens up an otherwise one-dimensional sauce.

[FeChef]

10 hours ago, Beebs said:

Add a teensy splash of chinkiang vinegar (black vinegar) at the end - it really brightens up an otherwise one-dimensional sauce.

I put black vinegar on everything. I probably have 6 unopened bottles of Kong Yen in my pantry. But that said, i tasted no hints of vinegar in the dish in question.

[FeChef]

19 hours ago, mgaretz said:

That sauce is recipe is OK - it has some of the ingredients that make your sauce at home taste like you get in an American Chinese restaurant (not claiming it's authentic Chinese).  To get that flavor you also need to add a touch of red pepper flakes.  Not enough so you feel the heat, but there's an undertone you need from them.  As someone who doesn't like spicy hot things, I always left the pepper flakes out, but a cooking class taught me different.   Sesame oil, garlic, fresh ginger and sugar are also key ingredients, but they are in that sauce recipe.  I would probably omit the water and vegetable oil and up the sugar, but I also use cream sherry which also adds sweetness. FWIW, I haven't used oyster sauce in years - just soy.  Bu then I usually also add Hoisin sauce because I like that flavor profile, and I don't have any issue with LKK's version.

 

I put Korean pepper flake in all my asian dishes, especially General Tso shrimp and all my ramen. That said, i really don't find the ingredient to much more then "heat" but my palate needs strong flavors to really stand out.