Peanut Sauce

This is a version of peanut sauce that I found in a pan-Asian cookbook for the dish "Swimming Rama" (chicken breasts in peanut sauce over steamed spinach). It's a sauce that's good warm or room temperature. It was a big hit at a music party I had when I made a batch of it, added chicken breast chunks, and put it out in a crock pot accompanied by a bowl of brown rice. My first voice teacher told me that singers tend to have oral fixations -- boy, do they love to eat! I've also used this sauce at room temperature for dipping homemade Vietnamese Spring Rolls. I love the sweet-salty peanut sauce from our local "Saigon Noodle" place, but this sauce has a great peanut flavor. I usually douple the recipe; the sauce freezes very well.

2 t. vegetable oil
1/2 c. finely chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 c. chunky or creamy peanut butter
3 T. packed brown sugar (or more if you want it sweeter)
2 T. fish sauce (or less to taste)
1 t. paprika
1/4 t. ground red pepper (or less if you want it mildly hot)
1 c. canned unsweetened coconut milk
1 T. cornstarch
1 T. water
2 T. lime juice

1. Heat oil in saucepan; saute onion and garlic until tender
2. Reduce heat, add peanut butter, brown sugar, fish sauce, paprika and red pepper; stir until smooth. Slowly stir in coconut milk until well blended.
(At this point, sauce may be cooled, covered and refrigerated up to 2 days in advance.)
3. Stir sauce constantly over medium heat until bubbling gently. Reduce heat. Combine cornstarch and water; stir into sauce. Cook and stir 1 to 2 minutes or until sauce is thickened. Stir in lime juice.

Sauce can be thinned easily with water to use for dipping. If I put it out in little bowls for dipping, I top it with a sprinkle of crushed roasted peanuts.