Oyster sauce is one of those ingredients that make every single dish fundamentally better when eaten. Thanks to its rich texture and fusion of flavours, it is one of the most popular sauces used all over the world. The sauce is widely used in Chinese cuisine because of its umami or savoury taste, which makes it perfect for stir-fry recipes.
The traditional method of making the oyster sauce is by gently simmering oysters in water until they turn into a brownish caramelized sauce. It was discovered accidentally by Lee Kum Kee when he forgot some oysters heating on the stove. He noticed a wonderful aroma coming from his kitchen and was pleasantly surprised to find the brown sauce on his wok with an incredible taste. Lee Kum Kee oyster sauce is now one of the most famous brands, used in world-famous Chinese restaurants.
Today, there is a modern way of creating it to save more time. It includes using sugar and salt for the base with a cornstarch agent to make it thicker. Oyster extracts are then added for flavour. A vegetarian oyster sauce substitute is made with mushrooms, which also provide a high umami taste. But hey! You have your studies to attend to. Get some from the nearest supermarket.
If you’re as addicted as we are to everything this mouth-watering sauce has to offer, check out the below delicious oyster sauce recipes that conveniently don’t take much time. They also don’t require advanced cooking skills; perfect for a quick meal at the end of a long university day.
This is a very popular dish and one of our favourite recipes with oyster sauce. The best part is that it will only take you 7 minutes to fix. It makes 5 servings so there’s plenty to share with your flatmates. The ingredients are as follows:
A noodles recipe simply has to be mentioned when talking about the wonders of oyster sauce; it’s a no brainer! And who doesn’t love stir-fry noodles? This one is an authentic Filipino recipe that will become your go-to meal whenever you feel peckish. It’s always good to brag about knowing how to cook pancit noodles. This recipe makes 6-8 servings so you can share with your friends. Here’s what you need:
For garnish:
Bonus tip: The oyster sauce is perfect for marination as it removes the strong smell of fish or meat and the resulting taste is heavenly.
Give these recipes a try now and thank us later. Not in the mood for cooking? Check out our list of the Best Chinese Restaurants in the UK and ask them for extra oyster sauce.