Sha Cha Jiang

Ingredients

1 star anise
1" x 1/2" cinnamon
1-2 tsp Sancho (Japanese lemon-pepper)
5 pieces amaska (Asian sweet-grass)
1 Tbs dried shrimp, soaked until soft
2-3 dried scallops (conpoy), soaked until soft
2-3 dried oysters, soaked until soft
1-2 tsp lemon peel
1 cup peanuts
some raw shrimp heads (w/shells is ok!)
2-3 tsp garlic
4 tsps tobanjan (Japanese chilli-bean sauce, salty taste)
2 Tbs sesame oil
1-2 Tbs curry powder
1 Tbs rice vinegar
1 Tbs soy sauce
1 medium onion, very finely minced
6-8 Tbs peanut oil

Instructions

Grind together the star anise, cinnamon, sancho, amaska, dried shrimp, dried scallops, dried oysters, lemon peel, peanuts, shrimp heads, garlic, tobanjan, sesame oil, curry, vinegar and soy. Saute onion in peanut oil. Add the ground mixture and saute/simmer at low heat until it becomes like a powder. Mix in some more soy and vinager, and some lemon juice. I found my Japanese recipe for this expensive Chinese BBQ sauce. First is a description of the standard Chinese one. Note that it does have quite different ingredients than mine. SHA CHA JIANG (China) is a tasty sauce with a slightly grainy texture, made from ground peanuts, dried fish, dried shrimp, chili, garlic, and spices which usually include coriander, Sichuan peppercorns, and star anise. Its flavor is similar to satay sauce which could, if necessary, be substituted. It is used mainly in Cantonese cooking, to glaze meats for grilling and can be used in stir-fries to give a mildly curried flavor. It is sold in bottles and can be kept indefinitely in the refrigerator. Also known as Sha Zha Chiang.