How to Prepare a Unique Version of Sweet & Sour Sauce
Sweet and sour sauce transforms simple ingredients into a bold and versatile condiment. This version combines sugar and vinegar for balance, while white wine adds sophistication. Shallots contribute a mild sweetness, and demi-glace creates a rich base. Seedless raisins and capers add texture and bursts of contrasting flavors.
Homemade sweet and sour sauce lets you control the balance of flavors. Store-bought options often taste overly sweet or lack depth. When you make it yourself, you can adjust each ingredient to your liking. Would you prefer it to be tangier? Add a splash more vinegar. Want a sweeter finish? Toss in a few extra raisins.
This recipe works beautifully as a glaze for roasted meats or a sauce for pan-seared fish. You can drizzle it over steamed vegetables or use it as a dip for crusty bread. It thickens quickly and comes together in minutes, making it ideal for busy weeknights or when you want to impress guests.
With this combination of classic and refined ingredients, you’ll have a perfect sauce for everyday meals and elegant dinners. Let’s dive into the recipe and start creating this flavorful staple!
Not Your Classic Asian Sweet and Sour
This is not your classic Asian sweet and sour sauce using soy sauce as a base. This version features demi glace as the base with sugar for sweetness and vinegar for the sour. It also calls for capers for a salty component.
Capers are the bud of bush indigenous to the Mediterranean. They add a briny and piquant dimension to food.
They’re a little salty, so take this into account when seasoning. Nonpareil capers from southern France are considered the best.
Best Served With Steaks – Veal Chops – Sweetbreads
Sweet and Sour Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons vinegar
- ½ cup white wine
- 2 teaspoons shallots chopped
- 1 cup demi-glace
- 1 tablespoon seedless raisins
- 1½ teaspoons capers drained
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, whisk the sugar and vinegar together over medium high heat until the sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil and cook until the sugar caramelizes, constantly stirring.
- Add the white wine and whisk vigorously for a few seconds.
- Add the shallots, bring to a boil and reduce by one third.
- Whisk in the demi-glace.
- Add the raisins and capers.
- Reduce until the sauce is thick enough to coat a spoon. Season with salt and pepper.
- Serve immediately.
