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Sekai Gohan
Homemade Hoisin Sauce for Pho (Tương Ăn Phở): A Miso-Based Dipping Sauce for the Meat
Ingredients
| Ingredient | Amount | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Garlic | 1 large clove | Aroma. Crushed, then strained out at the end |
| Ground cayenne | 1/8 tsp | Gentle heat |
| Chinese five-spice powder | 1/2 tsp | Warm spice |
| Rice flour (regular, not glutinous) | 2 tsp | Thickens the sauce as it simmers |
| Tahini | 1 tbsp + 1 tsp | Sesame richness and body |
| Unseasoned rice vinegar (Japanese) | 1 tbsp + 1 tsp | Acidity. Use plain rice vinegar, not seasoned sushi vinegar |
| Water | 1/3 cup | Liquid for simmering |
| Smooth dark miso (Hatcho miso) | 1/3 cup | Fermented soybean depth and saltiness |
| Light brown sugar, firmly packed | 1/2 cup | Sweetness |
| Regular soy sauce | to taste | Final seasoning, added a teaspoon at a time only if needed |
Steps
1Crush the garlic
Place the peeled garlic clove on the board and press down on it with the flat side of the knife until it cracks open. There is no need to chop it; it will be strained out later.
2Whisk everything except the soy sauce in the saucepan
Put the garlic, cayenne, five-spice, rice flour, tahini, rice vinegar, water, miso and brown sugar into the saucepan. Whisk or stir vigorously until evenly blended. Keep the soy sauce aside for later.
For a stronger miso flavor, add up to 1 tbsp more miso.
3Simmer over medium heat for about 1 minute
Set the pan over medium heat and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally. This is a simmer, not a hard boil. Let it bubble gently for about 1 minute, until the sauce thickens, then turn off the heat.
4Rest off the heat for 15 minutes
Leave the sauce in the pan off the heat for 15 minutes to cool and thicken further. Stir it now and then so a skin does not form on the surface.
5Taste, then adjust only if needed
Take a small amount on a clean, separate spoon and taste it. Do not put a spoon that has been in your mouth back into the pan.
If it needs more savoriness, add soy sauce 1 tsp at a time, stirring and tasting again between additions. If it needs brightness, add rice vinegar 1/2 tsp at a time. If it already tastes right, add nothing.
Soy sauce goes in a teaspoon at a time, and only if the sauce needs it 6Strain out the garlic
Pour the sauce through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl and discard the garlic left in the strainer. If your miso is chunky rather than smooth, blend the sauce in a food processor instead of straining it.