I call this a simmer sauce, but there’s more to it than that. When I made it, I just drizzled some of it over some seared ahi tuna, but it would also be wonderful over grilled chicken, and you could poach fish or shrimp with it. That’s why I am focusing on the sauce for this recipe and not how I eventually served it.
You’ll need some slightly specialized ingredients for this, although I tried to be mindful that some of them would be difficult to find. Somehow I have a jar of pre-sliced lemongrass, but I have no clue where I acquired it, as I can’t even find it on Amazon. You can use fresh or dried lemongrass, but if you use dried, make sure you don’t use as much. I used powdered ginger, because I’m way too lazy to buy a knob of ginger root just for this recipe, but if you do, a few thin peeled slices should do you. For the fish sauce, you’ll want Red Boat, as it’s sourced responsibly and sustainably using wild-caught fish. And finally, while I used the Trader Joe’s brand of coconut cream, I’ve used this one in the past and can vouch for it.
To make this, start by emptying a can of coconut cream in a medium flat saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk it until the solids and liquids combine. To this, add about two to three tablespoons of chopped fresh lemongrass (half that if using dried), the juice of one lime, two tablespoons of fish sauce, two tablespoons of sriracha, a tablespoon of minced garlic, and a teaspoon of dried ginger or three thin slices of fresh ginger. If you can find them, a couple of dried Kaffir lime leaves would be nice, but they’re certainly not necessary and I didn’t use them. Once the mixture starts boiling, turn it down to a simmer and let it steep for about ten minutes, stirring occasionally. When it’s finished, strain it through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl, then return it to the saucepan. If you’re going to poach some fish or shrimp in this sauce, do it now. If not, or after you’re finished poaching, add about 1/3 cup of chopped cilantro and stir until it just starts to wilt, then remove the skillet from the heat.
Thai Coconut Simmer Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 can coconut cream
- 2-3 tbsp sliced lemongrass see notes above
- 1 lime juiced
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 2 tbsp sriracha
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp dried ginger or three thin peeled slices fresh ginger
- 1/3 cup chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Empty the coconut cream into a wide saucepan or large non-stick skillet over medium-low heat. Whisk the coconut cream until the solids and liquids combine.
- Add the rest of the ingredients except the cilantro and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook for ten more minutes.
- Using a fine mesh strainer, strain the liquid into a bowl, then return it to the pan. If using the sauce to poach fish or shrimp, add them now and cook over medium heat, then add the cilantro when the meat is cooked and remove it from the heat. If using the sauce as a topping, add the cilantro, stir it until it wilts slightly, then remove from heat and serve.
- Macros per serving: 103 calories, 4 grams net carbs, 2 grams protein, 9 grams fat.
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