My grandmother has moved to Australia and as I was helping her clean up I found a similar recipe. I have tested this and find it easier. I am also including some tips about the Master Sauce that makes it better. You can keep it in the fridge longer instead of freezing and defrosting it. Hope you like it. Any questions, feel free to contact me.
Ingredients:
4 slices ginger
2 slices licorice
2 cloves garlic
2 shallots
1 red chili
3 star anise
1tbsp Suchuan peppercorns
2 spring onions - sectioned
Seasoning: Master Sauce
1 cup dark soy
5 cups water
1 tbsp rice wine or mirin
1 tbsp rock sugar - substitute with Sugar Twin and Splenda mix
2 tbsp hot broad bean paste (optional)
Direction:
Stir fry all ingredients in 2 tbsp of oil in a wok
Add all the Master Sauce Seasoning
Simmer for 30 minutes. Strain off the ingredients.
Voila the base is done. Now for the fun part!
General Tips:
Cook whatever meat first before poaching in the Master Sauce. The more you poach meat in the sauce. The richer the flavor. With the following exceptions:-
Dried Bean Curd - the sauce will turn sour after you poach bean curd in it, so you have to dump the sauce. (A Chemist can tell you why it turns sour, but I just dump the sauce) - These are the sheets or sticks of Bean Curd that you buy at the grocery section, not the fresh white stuff. You can also use PRESSED TOFU.
Eggs - after you poach shelled mid-boiled/hard boiled eggs in the sauce, the sauce loses its favor so dump it.
So to solve this problem, just pour enough from the main batch to poach your bean curds and eggs so you don't lose the main batch.
Once you are finished with whatever you are marinating in the Master Sauce, remember to bring the sauce to a boil. You can keep the sauce in the fridge for months if you store it properly. If you want to make sure your sauce doesn't turn, use the following method.
SAVING Master Sauce
Strain and scoop off any fragments of bones, spice, etc.
**Bring Sauce to boil**
Cool and put the pot in the freezer
Wait about 2 hours (or until Sauce turn jello-y)
Use paper towel to skim off fat
Slice the Sauce Mold in quarters.
Unmold the Sauce Mold into a freezer ziplock bag and keep in freezer.
To use again; defrost in refreigerator and bring to boil. Throw in 1-2 Star Anise to revive flavor if desired.
Here's the various cooking time for different meat, etc.
Chicken Wings and Gizzards
Simmer wings and gizzards in the Master Sauce for 15 minutes using low heat. Turn the heat off and let the wings sit for 15 minutes.
Beef - I will just cook the beef direct here. I use whatever is lean or on sale.
Simmer in low heat until you can poke through with a chop stick. Sit for 5 minutes.
Squid
Yes, Squid. Chinese eat odd things.
Simmer in low heat for 5 minutes, sit for 5 minutes.
Peanuts
Microwave peanuts and cook for 10 minutes. Simmer in sauce for 20 minutes.
Dried Beancurd/Pressed Tofu
Simmer Beancurd in the sauce for 20 minutes. Remember to dump sauce.
Eggs
Simmer shelled eggs in the sauce for 5 minutes. Remember to dump sauce.
You can eat all the above cool, so its great for a picnic.