Peanut butter sesame sauce

[rosefox]

Note: One batch of sauce will coat 12 oz of noodles, 1 lb of cooked meat or meat substitute, and probably lots of other things--experiment! It can also be used as a dip for pieces of cucumber, celery, or apple.

Note: Optionally, garnish with pieces of cucumber and/or chopped roasted peanuts.

Ingredients

3 Tbsp sesame oil (pure, not blended)
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp rice vinegar
2 tsp sugar
1 to 3 tsp grated fresh or frozen ginger (to taste)
0.25 c creamy natural peanut butter (contains nothing but peanuts and possibly a bit of salt--do NOT use Skippy, Jif, etc.)
Chili oil or garlic-chili paste (optional, to taste)
3 Tbsp water + more if needed

Equipment

Blender, or bowl and whisk
Measuring cups and spoons

Instructions

0) Mise en place. Gather your ingredients and tools.

1) Make the sauce. Combine the ingredients, starting with 3 Tbsp of water. Blend or whisk until smooth, adding more water 1 Tbsp at a time if needed--you want it just thin enough to pour easily. If you accidentally add too much water, heat the sauce in a small pot on the stove until some water evaporates and the sauce thickens.

2) Use the sauce. Pour the sauce over whatever you're saucing.

3) Store and reheat. Store leftover sauce in the fridge for up to two weeks. Reheat gently (either on the stove over low heat or in short bursts in the microwave, stirring frequently to prevent the oil from falling out of the emulsion) before serving, adding water as needed to thin it out.


Sources:
http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/9558-takeout-style-sesame-noodles