If you haven’t had a chance to say, “Hello, how do you do?” to sambal oelek, you’re going to put your life into two chapters: “BSO” and “ASO.” Yes, you really will consider your life “Before Sambal Oelek” and “After Sambal Oelek.”
Now, sure, you may have found the love of your life, bought a house, and raised a family “BSO,” but that won’t hold a candle to your life “ASO.” Once you open that little jar filled with crushed red chilies, vinegar and salt, your senses will swoon.
Your eyes will roll into the back of your head. You’ll feel the most inexplicable smile on your face. And you’ll grin, and grin, and grin, standing alone in the kitchen with an open bottle of sambal in your hands.
It really is an ingredient that goes from “what’s that?” to “Oh, my God. I have to put on a pair of pants and drive to the store in the middle of a storm for sambal!” It’s perfect in scrambled eggs. It’s wonderful mashed with avocado. It brightens a salsa, and makes your queso dip leap out of the bowl in joy.
But let’s not overlook the obvious. Chicken and sambal are the perfect pairing. And when you throw colorful gourmet potatoes into the mix, you have a sheet pan recipe that makes a Wednesday night feel like a holiday.
So, spoon some of this magical ingredient into a bowl, grab your F.N. Sharp chef knife and let’s get cooking!
8 ingredients
4 servings
Cooking Time
Ingredients
Directions
About the Author
Launie Kettler is a food writer and photographer who lives in a suburb of Burlington, VT. She cooks big food in a small kitchen, and her husband and cats are tolerant of the fact that she plays the same Wilco and Son Volt albums over and over while pontificating about the beauty of cumin. Launie is the co-author of The Everything Mediterranean Slow Cooker Cookbook and her recipes have been featured in Where Women Cook, Fresh Magazine, and on Salon. You can follow her adventures on Instagram @teenytinykitchenvt and on her blog at TeenyTinyKitchen.com.