Thanks so much Gary. The stuff is so quick and easy to make it wouldn't justify a thread. Here is the recipe though.
1/2 cup rice vinegar (or white vinegar)
1/2 cup white sugar (plus 2 tablespoons)
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons sherry (or cooking sherry)**
2 tablespoons garlic (minced)
1/2 to 1 tablespoon dried crushed chili (1 tablespoon makes spicy-hot sauce)
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch (dissolved in 3 to 4 tablespoons cool water)
Place all ingredients—except the cornstarch-water mixture—in a saucepan or pot and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to medium and let boil for 10 minutes, or until reduced by half. (Note that the vinegar will be quite pungent as it burns off--rice vinegar is less strong than regular white vinegar.)
Reduce heat to low and add the cornstarch-water mixture. Stir to incorporate and continue stirring occasionally until the sauce thickens about 2 minutes. Then remove from heat and taste-test.
Pour sauce into a small bowl or jar and serve as a condiment, dip, or marinade.
When you are taste-testing, you should taste sweet first, followed by sour, then spicy and salty notes. If the sauce isn't sweet enough, add a little more sugar. If it's not spicy enough, add more chili.
(**I used 1 tablespoon each of Grenadine and Vermouth)
Adjust accordingly for your tastes where the garlic and crushed red pepper are concerned. This makes a pretty small batch so every time I make it I double the recipe
Robert
