In my first blog, I promised to share my disasters and while I salvaged my sauce today, my blender flung copious amounts of ‘oyster’ sauce all over my kitchen - on the walls, counters, fruit bowl, floor and all over me. Not once but twice! With a friend, I imagine I would have laughed long and hard. Being alone and seeing the mess in front of me, I gasped and muttered something disparaging. I quietly felt grateful no one witnessed the scene and pointed out my stupidity!

I used my small jar on the blender and filled it too full which resulted in the lid blowing off despite me pressing down on it. Well, I will not do that again; I seem to learn from making every mistake possible!

Back to oyster sauce. Sauces add flavour, depth and complexity to dishes. Meat eaters often complain vegetable meals are bland; however, herbs, spices and various cooking techniques bring out rich, deep flavours; sauces also add deliciousness . Asian cuisines use oyster sauce for its salty, sweet, unami flavour. Traditionally made from oysters, soy sauce and sugar, this version has a mushroom base and uses fish sauce. My mother was allergic to oysters and I avoid them for fear I might be too; they never look appealing..

To make this vegetarian, use gluten free soy sauce or coconut aminos. When using coconut aminos, either omit or reduce the honey. This sauce does not mimic the flavour of traditional oyster sauce; it has its own unique salty, sweet unami taste.

‘Oyster’ Sauce

Ingredients

10 large dried shitake mushrooms (or 20-25 small shiitake mushrooms)

1 tbs fresh ginger, peeled and grated

2 tsp toasted sesame oil

1 tbs Redboat fish sauce

2 cups+ filtered water from soaking shiitake mushrooms

2 tbs raw honey

Method

Thoroughly rinse and soak the dried shiitake mushrooms in 4 cups of filtered water over night.  The mushrooms will get soft and juicy.

The next morning, squeeze out the excess water and slice the mushrooms; put to the side. Keep the mushroom water.

Peel the ginger and grate.

Heat 1 tsp sesame oil in a skillet and add the sliced mushrooms and ginger.  Cook for several minutes.  Add 1 tsp fish sauce and cook for another minute or two.  Turn off the heat and set aside to cool.

In a high speed blender, add sautéed mushrooms and ginger, 1 tsp sesame oil, 2-3 tsp fish sauce, honey and 2 cups of mushroom water.  Run on high for 1 minute until the sauce is smooth and creamy without any chunks. Check to make sure you have the consistency you want. Add more mushroom water to make it thinner and adjust fish sauce and honey if needed.
Store in sterilised glass bottles and keep  in the refrigerator.  

Note:

Keep any left over mushroom water to use as stock or add to homemade soup stock you already have. It has a great flavour base! Store in the refrigerator.