Choosing the right peanut dipping sauce depends on the type of food, who will be eating it, and when it will be served. Thai-style sauces are usually spicy and complement chicken or shrimp, while sweet sauces are served hot and complement fruit and bread. Experimenting with different sauces can give the meal a cohesive feel.
Peanut dipping sauce comes in many different styles, for use in many types of recipes. Choosing just one sauce can seem confusing, but you can narrow down your choices by considering how you’ll use it. You should typically consider what types of foods will be served with it, who will be eating it, and when you will be serving it during your meal. Next, you should think about what kinds of flavors you like to help you make your final decision.
Whether you want to serve your peanut dipping sauce as part of an appetizer or as part of an appetizer, you should typically look for Thai-style dipping sauces. These are usually spicy, with just a hint of sweetness underlined by the taste of the peanuts. Many people enjoy these hotter sauces with chicken or shrimp. However, you could serve a spicy peanut sauce with breaded chicken fingers or as part of an Asian-style appetizer platter.
A Thai-style dip typically includes sweetened or unsweetened peanut butter, soy sauce, vinegar, chili, garlic, and ginger. Some recipes are extremely spicy and include hot sauce and crushed chiles in addition to the dried peppers. Others are simply salted, leaving out the chiles entirely. These recipes usually emphasize the use of soy sauce, onions and chives, cumin, and fish sauce.
A Thai peanut dipping sauce that includes coconut milk, honey, and sugar, plus hot sauce and hot pepper flakes, might work well if you like mixing sweet and spicy flavors. These hot sauces usually bridge the gap between appetizers and desserts by complementing both. Pineapple bites, pear slices, vegetables, and different types of meat might taste good in this type of sauce.
If you have a sweet tooth, creamy and sweet peanut sauce recipes may be just the ticket. Sweet sauce recipes don’t usually include anything salty or spicy. Instead, they often feature ingredients like marshmallow fluff, melted chocolate, peanut butter, and brown sugar. This type of peanut dipping sauce is usually served hot, either in a fondue pot or a warm roasting dish. Sometimes another nut butter, such as one made from hazelnuts or almonds, may also be included. Fruit, cinnamon-dusted bread, and savory pretzels typically complement these sweet dips very well.
Of course, if you just can’t decide, you could try serving some type of peanut sauce dipping with each course. Not only does this allow you to experiment, but it gives the meal a cohesive feel. For example, you might offer an appetizer of coconut shrimp with spicy peanut sauce. The dinner itself could then feature a salty, savory version of the sauce, and the meal can be completed with a sweet peanut butter fondue.
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