Lucky Peach's Odd Flavor Sauce

By lorik

Ingredients

• Makes about 1/2 cup
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons tahini, almond butter, or peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon Chinkiang vinegar (Chinese black rice vinegar) or red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 3 tablespoons neutral oil (like canola, vegetable, or grapeseed)
• 1 small scallion, finely chopped (about 1 tablespoon)
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped (about 1 tablespoon)
• 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes (or more to taste)
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed Sichuan peppercorns

Details

Adapted from food52.com

Preparation

Step 1

Combine the soy sauce, tahini (or nut butter), vinegar, sesame oil, sugar, and salt in a small heatproof bowl and mix until the sugar is dissolved and tahini is well incorporated. It’s okay if it’s not completely dissolved, though.
Heat a small skillet over medium heat, add the oil, and heat until shimmering. Add the scallions, ginger, garlic, chili flakes, and crushed peppercorns. Remove from the heat and stir for 10 seconds, until the scallion is bright green and everything’s aromatic. Pour all this into the liquid seasonings and whisk until well blended. Once cool, the sauce will keep in the fridge for one or two days.

Suggestions on Uses:

As Lucky Peach says, the sauce is good on “any warm white proteins.” Salt and pepper chicken, fish, pork, or tofu, cook it any which way you like, slice, and pour on that Odd Flavor Sauce. Serve with rice (and extra sauce), of course.

Toss roasted or steamed vegetables with some sauce.

Use it as a fried rice flavoring! (Bonus points if you top it with a fried egg.)
As a dipping sauce for Okonomiyaki. 

Dunk some dumplings in it. 

Use it to dress for soba or udon noodles—or a noodle salad.

How about an assertive dressing for kale salad? Add some shredded carrots, herbs, pan-fried tofu, roasted and chopped peanuts, and/or whatever else you fancy. 

On that same note, use it as a dressing for any shredded vegetable salad, like this cabbage version.

Dunk some edamame in it for one helluva snack.

Stir-fry with the sauce!

Drizzle it on jook or congee.