Chili Garlic Sauce

Welcome, welcome, welcome. I've been wanting to bring about this blog for ages now, and I'm really excited to share my culinary adventures with as many people as I can, and as frequently as I can. This has been an opportunity that I have had to jump at, and I'm really happy that it's finally happening.

Why the name, Street Cred? Well, it all refers back to my main objective for this blog: to go in search of the best foods I can find (and those that I love dearly), and to make my own home version of them. Therefore, my love of street food and ethnic culinary adventures will be transformed into everyday recipes for the home, most of them quick and easy.

Now, back to the cooking! The first recipe I'm going to share isn't much of a recipe at all, because it's not a meal. It's a condiment. When I was in college and first began exploring Philadelphia's Chinatown, this spicy garlic chili sauce left an imprint on my palate and my heart, and I use it on almost a daily basis. After years of enjoying its spicy goodness, I've decided to try to recreate a more garlic & ginger based version that can be used on its own or as part of a marinade. I've added the saltiness and richness of soy and fish sauce, so that this sauce can stand alone as a condiment or dipping sauce. For those who aren't a fan of spice, I've made the type and quantity of chili optional, and you could omit it altogether and add some cilantro instead for a garlicky herb marinade.

Ingredients:

1-5 small red chilis (I used 5 of the "birds eye" variety that I found in an Asian supermarket)
6 cloves of garlic, crushed or grated (or put through a garlic press)
1/2" of ginger root, fresh, peeled, and very very finely diced or grated
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tsp fish sauce
1/2 tsp sesame oil
pinch of salt
pinch of white pepper

Mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl, mashing with a fork for about 3-5 minutes so that the flavors are well incorporated. Transfer to a smaller container for storage and refrigerate.

For Dipping Sauce:

Add 1/2 tsp of chili garlic sauce with 1 tsp soy sauce, 1/2 tsp hoisin sauce, and 1/2 tsp rice vinegar.

Optional: Add juice of 1/2 lime instead of vinegar