Tariyaki Sauce

Servings: 1 to 2 cups

Notes:

• If using full sodium soy sauce, you may want to use 1/3 or 1/4 cup instead of the full 1/2 as it can by overly salty.
• It's a good idea to taste and adjust the sauce to fit what you want. This recipe should be used as a starting point that you can modify.
• This should keep for a couple of weeks in the fridge - to store, just put in a sealable container, like a mason jar with a tight fitting lid.
• If you intend on using this as a marinade, there's no real benefit to reducing the sauce after the sugar has been dissolved.

Ingredients

• 1/2 Cup low sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 Cup mirin
• 1/2 Cup sake
• 1/4 Cup sugar
• 1/2 Teapsoon grated garlic (optional)
• 1/2 Teaspoon grated ginger (optional)

Directions

1. Put all ingredients in a pot over medium heat.
2. Whisk sauce until the sugar is completely dissolved.
3. Allow sauce to boil and reduce slightly - the sugar will cause the sauce to thicken very slightly, but don't expect it to turn into a glaze unless you boil it for a long time.
4. If you're not using it right away, allow the sauce to cool slightly before storing in an air tight container and refrigerating.

Methods and Addition Ideas

This is a great sauce or marinade on its own, but because of its simplicity, there are a lot ways you can customize and use this sauce.

Methods

Stir Frying

• When stir frying, add the sauce to your pan when it is very hot. The heat is needed to evaporate water and alcohol, both leading to the creation of deep caramelization and flavor development.

Glazing

• If using this as a glaze, first add it to the pan like you would for stir fry, then add a slurry made of 2 tablespoons of water and 1 tablespoon of corn, potato, or rice starch; be sure to mix the slurry very thoroughly before adding it to the glaze, as not doing so will result in clumps of starch that are impossible to remove.

Addition Ideas

• Try adding something acidic, like 1/4 cup of orange juice or pineapple juice. Not only will this add flavor, the acid can aid in marinading, if that's how you're using it.
• Try adding savory ingredients, like a tablespoon of miso paste, an anchovie, or even 1/4 teaspoon of MSG during the heating process - make sure what you add is evenly distributed.
• Try adding something spicy, like 1/4 a teaspoon of cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, or something more mild like white pepper.