Asian A-1

I thought that since I'm posting about fresh pan seared tuna I better give you a dipping sauce for it!  I make this sauce for tuna, cold shrimp, even egg rolls!  It's really good with plainly grilled meats because it provides all those flavor notes our tongues like.

Here's what I've been putting in lately!

I like to start with some fresh ginger. Peel it and mince it up. A teaspoon or so. Though up to a tablespoon would be fine. I love fresh ginger. It has a lovely citrus flavor to it. So it adds a little sour and a little bitter. The fresh root has a very mild spiciness to it.

A little minced garlic goes in too.  I'm using my brand new garlic press! Garlic is pure yummy bitterness!

Now for some soy sauce. You want a tasty soy sauce for this since you're not cooking it. I am fond of Kikkoman which is a Japanese style I've been told. As long as you're using a soy you like to add to food after it's cooked you'll be fine.

Now for a little minced scallion.  I just did the white and pale green parts today.  More bitter! You need bitter in here because you're using quite a bit of salty soy sauce.

I'm adding some orange juice. It has that sour and sweet element we're hunting for! Orange is so good in this sauce. I've even added orange zest before too!

I like a little heat! I'm using an Asian relish called sambal. Generally you can find it at the grocery stores here in Missouri!  But feel free to use fresh hot peppers minced or hot pepper sauce. It's all good!

Now when I tasted my sauce I realized it wasn't sweet enough yet. If I had a different brand of orange juice I might of had a different result! So I added some sweetener. Honey, agave nectar, brown or white sugar would do! I even ended up adding a little cider vinegar to give it extra kick. Everything hinges on the orange juice you use so stay flexible!

Add a little bit of toasted sesame oil. It adds a rich, nuttiness that can't be beat!

As this sits the ginger, garlic, and onion flavors will become stronger so it'll actually get more and more delicious!

Asian A-1

1-2 tsp minced garlic
1-2 tsp minced ginger
2-4  Tbsp soy sauce
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 a scallion, minced
1/2 tsp hot sauce
1/2 - 2 tsp honey (or other sweetener)
1/2 tsp sesame oil

Mix all ingredients together and serve.