Chef John's Thai-Style Sweet Chili Sauce
Description
Chef John's take on Thai-style sweet chili sauce, or Nam Jim, is sort of a hybrid between the cooked and fresh versions. If you can't find Thai bird's eye chilies, use any other combination of fresh, preserved, and/or dried chilies. This sauce is great on grilled chicken and pork.
Ingredients
•
1/2 cup water
•
1/2 cup white distilled vinegar
•
2 tablespoons fish sauce
•
1/2 cup brown sugar
•
1 tablespoon ketchup
•
2 teaspoons sambal chili sauce
•
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
•
6 cloves finely crushed garlic
•
2 tablespoons finely minced Thai chili peppers (bird's eye peppers)
•
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
Directions
1
Place 1/2 cup cold fresh water and vinegar in a saucepan. Whisk in Asian fish sauce, brown sugar, ketchup, sambal chili sauce, and cornstarch. Whisk until cornstarch disappears. Place over medium-high heat and bring up to a simmer stirring occasionally. As it bubbles, it will start to thicken up. Remove pan from heat.
2
Whisk garlic and chili into hot mixture. Add fresh lime juice; whisk again. Allow mixture to cool to room temperature before checking for seasonings.
3
If not using immediately, transfer to a glass jar with a lid. Refrigerate.