Culantro sauce

I need to issue a warning for this recipe. It is an addictive sauce! I always have a jar in the fridge, and it is suitable to go with most things, such as chicken, fish and seafood, tapas, sandwiches, as a dipping sauce and much, much more. I often make a few batches of the sauce because so many people around me are crazy about it.

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You will need

7 oz (200 g) Culantro, rinse and cut off the root, and chop roughly. Can be replaced with double weight (14 oz - 400 g) of cilantro leaves and stems but the taste will differ and be less intense *See note 1 below

¼ cup (60 ml) garlic, chopped

1 tsp (5 ml) ground white pepper

Just over 1 cup (250 ml) canola oil

2 tbsp (30 ml) lime juice

2 tbsp (30 ml) rice vinegar

2 tsp (10 ml) honey

1 ½ teaspoons (7 ½ ml) red chili (amount depending on heat), chopped

1 tbsp (15 ml) fish sauce

2 tsp (10 ml) sesame oil

1 tsp (5 ml) Chinese five spice powder

½ tsp (2 ½ ml) MSG ** See note 2 below

Sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

How to make it

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Tips and tricks

Note 1: Culantro, or long coriander, has many names (including chadon beni, cimarrón, recao (Puerto Rico), chardon béni (France), Mexican coriander, samat, bandhaniya, long coriander, Burmese coriander, sawtooth coriander, Shadow Beni (Caribbean), and ngò gai (Vietnam)). It is used in Caribbean, Latin American, and Asian dishes. Culantro is not the same as cilantro/coriander, although they are similar in flavor. Culantro (Eryngium foetidum) has a much more intense and pungent flavor that is more distinct compared to coriander. It provides a deep, aromatic taste that enhances other flavors in various dishes. If you cannot find culantro, you can substitute it with coriander, but the depth of flavor will not be the same. I buy it at Asian Markets in Stockholm. Ask your local Asian store or Mexican grocery store if they can order it. If you make the culantro sauce, it keeps well in the fridge in an airtight glass jar for up to a month. It truly goes well with everything, such as fried chicken or fish, canapés, as a dip, and much, much more.

Note 2: MSG, also known as monosodium glutamate or simply glutamate, is the umami flavor in powdered form. MSG is a very common seasoning and flavor enhancer in Asian cuisine and goes well with everything. Chemically, it is the salt of glutamic acid, produced microbiologically through fermentation. Only very small doses are needed to enhance the flavor.

All the ingredients for the sauce. Culantro on the left.