How to Make Sweet and Spicy Fish Ball Sauce

I am a chef on a luxury world cruise liner. I love to cook and write recipes that are inspired by foods from all over the world.

Fish ball sauce is a standard sauce that is served not only with fish balls but also with many other types of fried foods. Do you know why this sauce is called fish ball sauce, as opposed to chicken sauce or pork sauce?

Throughout Asia, fish balls are a very common street food. Its popularity arose before other kinds of fried balls or nuggets were invented, such as crab balls, pork balls, squid balls, or chicken nuggets. Today, this sauce is usually served with any kind of snackable ball or nugget that you may find being sold on the street.

Cook Time

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/4 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/4 tablespoon flour
• 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
• Garlic, as desired
• Onion, as desired
• Bird's eye chili, chopped; as desired
• Water, to dilute the cornstarch and flour
• Cooking oil

Necessary Tools

For Preparation:

• medium plate
• medium bowl
• 2 small bowls
• measuring cups
• measuring spoons

For Cooking:

• pan
• cooking spoons

Instructions

1. Combine the cornstarch and flour. Dilute the blend with a few tablespoons of water. Set aside.
2. Pour in the water. Add brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, soy sauce, and hot sauce. Mix all of the ingredients.
3. Add the slurry mixture (cornstarch and flour mix). Bring it to a boil.
4. Turn off the heat. Mix in the bird's eye chilies.
5. Allow it to cool down before transfering it into a clean container.
6. Serve it with your favorite fried foods.

Simple Breaded Fish Recipe

Ingredients

• Fish fillet, cubed (any kind)
• Salt and pepper
• Chinese-style breading mix

Tips and Techniques

• Keep the sauce inside the refrigerator. Reheat it when needed.
• Use fresh garlic and onion if preferred. Simply saute these two in oil before adding the rest of the ingredients.
• Add any chilies available.
• Increase the number of chilies to make a spicier version.
• Replace brown sugar with white sugar. Though brown sugar will give you that natural rich taste of molasses.
• Serve this sauce with any fried food, including my fried chicken gizzards.

© 2018 Travel Chef

Comments

Travel Chef (author) from Manila on November 03, 2018:

Hello Liz,

Freezing is really the best thing to do when saving foods. However, we should be aware that freezing foods for a long time may affect the quality of it.

Liz Westwood from UK on November 03, 2018:

Thanks. I also freeze a lot of food.

Travel Chef (author) from Manila on November 03, 2018:

Hi Liz,

I normally do my sauces and keep all of it inside the freezer. It may last as long as I want. But ideally, I would suggest that it's safer to keep your cooked food items including sauces for a maximum of 7 days, as we normally do as a chef. If you can put a note or label, somewhere where you can be reminded when you made the sauce, much better.

Liz Westwood from UK on November 03, 2018:

Great recipe

How long would this keep fresh in the fridge?