Egg Soybean Oil Sauce with Lime and Chile

Introduction

You blend key lime juice, ají amarillo, ají limo, and hondashi into a sharp, savory base, then emulsify it with soybean oil and pasteurized eggs until it lands between leche de tigre and mayonnaise. The result is a cold sauce with heat, citrus, and body that works with seafood, fried foods, roasted vegetables, or as a spread.

Recipe Details

• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 0 minutes
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Servings: About 6

Ingredients

• 100 ml key lime juice (from 8-10 limes)
• 20 g sea salt
• 20 g red onions
• 20 g ají amarillo chile
• 10 g ají limo chile
• 10 g garlic
• 5 g cilantro leaves
• 5 g hondashi (Japanese dehydrated broth)
• 5 g black pepper powder
• 5 g togarashi pepper powder
• 375 ml soybean oil
• 2 pasteurized eggs

Instructions

Leche de tigre

1. Pour the lime juice into a bowl.
2. Add the salt and test the flavor. It should be neither too salty nor too acidic. If needed, rectify by adding more salt or lime juice to find the right balance.
3. Add the onions, chiles, garlic, cilantro, hondashi, black pepper, and togarashi.
4. Cover with plastic wrap and reserve in the fridge for at least 15 minutes, so the flavors from the vegetables and spices can integrate into the lime juice.

Mayonnaise

1. Crack the eggs into a blender, and start blending at low speed.
2. While running the blender, very gradually start adding 250 ml of the oil until the mixture thickens to a mayonnaise consistency. Use more or less oil as needed.
3. Pause the blender, pour your leche de tigre into the mix, and start blending again.
4. Gradually stream in the remaining 125 ml oil until the mix thickens again.
5. Turn off the blender and taste for salt. If needed, add a little more salt, and blend again until it suits your taste.

Variations

• Replace the soybean oil with sunflower oil if you want a slightly cleaner, lighter finish; the sauce stays stable but tastes less rich.
• Reduce the ají limo chile by half for a milder heat level; you keep the chile character without pushing the sauce too far into sharp heat.
• Use regular lime juice instead of key lime juice if that is what you have; the acidity reads broader and a little less floral.
• Strain the leche de tigre before blending it into the mayonnaise if you want a smoother, more uniform sauce; leave it unstrained for a more textured, punchier result.

Tips for Success

• Juice the limes first and balance the salt before adding the other ingredients, since it is easier to correct the base while it is still thin.
• Give the leche de tigre the full 15 minutes in the fridge so the onion, chiles, garlic, and cilantro have time to infuse the lime juice.
• Stream in the first 250 ml soybean oil slowly while blending at low speed; adding it too fast is the main reason the emulsion breaks.
• Taste after the second blend, because the extra oil softens both the salt and the heat.

Storage and Reheating

Store the sauce in an airtight jar or container in the fridge for up to 2 days. If you want to limit oxidation, press plastic wrap directly onto the surface before sealing.

FAQ

Can you use bottled lime juice?

You can, but fresh key lime juice gives you a brighter, cleaner flavor. Bottled juice tends to taste flatter and can make the finished sauce seem harsher.

What can you use instead of ají amarillo chile?

A mild fresh yellow chile or ají amarillo paste works. You will keep the color and some fruitiness, but the flavor will be less specific.

Can you make it without hondashi?

Yes, but you will lose some of the savory depth that makes the sauce taste fuller. A small amount of mushroom powder or vegetable stock powder gives you some umami, though the profile changes.

Why did the sauce stay thin or split?

That usually means the oil went in too fast or the emulsion did not build before you added the leche de tigre. Blend in a little more oil very slowly, and it will often come back together.