Copycat Swiss Chalet BBQ Sauce

 

One eatery place I always enjoyed dining at when I lived in Canada was a restaurant called Swiss Chalet.  The Menu is based on its signature Rotisserie Chicken with is served along with sides and its special BBQ sauce.  Back in the day it was pretty much the only place you could get a rotisserie chicken, but of course they are really common place now with most shops selling them ready cooked and so convenient for bringing home and enjoying in the comforts of your own little house.

 

Their BBQ Sauce is pretty amazing however and was always my favourite part.  They used to sell packages of the  mix in the grocery store that you could make your own at home with also.  It never quite tasted the same as the stuff in the restaurant though (what does?) but it was close. 

 

So delicious for dipping your chicken in and your french fries/chips.  A number of years back they ran a contest in the Toronto Star Newspaper to see if anyone could come up with a copycat recipe for the sauce and this sauce I am showing you today is the winner.  I believe it was attributed to home economist Kay Spicer.  In any case, I copied it down into my Big Blue Binder and have been making it ever since.

 

The original recipe called for poultry seasoning, which is not something we can get over here in the UK, so I have adapted the recipe to use what I believe if a fair substitute.  In any case it tastes about the same!

 

It is quite a lengthy list of ingredients, but once you get them all assembled, the recipe goes together very quickly and I have to say it is very close to the original, if not better.  Todd just loves this, and so do I.

 

*Swiss Chalet Copycat BBQ Sauce*

Makes about 750ml (3 1/4 cups) 

Printable Recipe 

I make this whenever I get homesick for Swiss Chalet Chicken. This is a recipe which appeared in the Toronto Star many years ago.  It is delicious. It is recommended that you use 1/3 of the sauce to baste the chicken with while cooking and the remainder for dipping at the table. From my Big Blue Binder.It looks like a lot of ingredients, but if you assemble it ahead of time the sauce goes together very quickly.  

710ml water (3 cups)

60ml tomato juice (1/4 cup)

1 chicken stock pot (cube)

1 1/2 tsp paprika

1 TBS granulated sugar

3/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp dried basil

1/4 tsp parsley flakes

1/4 tsp dried thyme

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp mustard powder

1/4 tsp onion powder

1/8 tsp dried sage

1/8 tsp dried marjoram

pinch ground nutmeg

1 bay leaf, broken

3/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce

6 drops Tabasco hot pepper sauce

2 tsp lemon juice

1 1/2 TBS cornflour (corn starch)

1 1/2 TBS water

1 TBS butter

 

Measure the water and tomato juice into a medium saucepan.  Add the stock pot.  Mix together the sugar, salt, basil, parsley, thyme, ginger, mustard powder, onion powder, sage, marjoram and nutmeg.  Whisk this into the saucepan along with the Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco. Add the Bay leaf.  Bring to the boil, whisking constantly to combine, then reduce to a simmer and simmer over medium low heat for about 5 minutes.  Whisk together the cornflour and water.  Remove the bay leaf from the sauce and then stir in the lemon juice.  Whisk in the cornflour mixture, whisking constantly, for several minutes until the mixture boils and thickens.  Whisk in the butter.  Cook for a further two minutes.  Taste and adjust seasoning as required.  Store any leftovers, covered, in the refrigerator.

 

I really highly recommend that you make this sauce the next time you bring home a rotisserie chicken, or when you go to cook a chicken yourself. You will be so glad that you did.  I guarantee!  Bon Appetit!