Teriyaki Sauce

The beauty of teriyaki sauce is in its balance of salty and sweet without the noise of sharp garlic, hot chiles or any other ingredients. You can add seasonings, if you like, or stick to the original, which calls for only sake, soy and mirin. Brown sugar gives this blend gloss and a syrupy consistency ideal for drizzling over ready-to-eat ingredients. But you could also skip the sugar and simmer just sake, soy sauce and mirin in the proportions below with your dish, thickening it into a glaze that clings to the main ingredient.

Ingredients

• ½

  cup sake

• ½

  cup soy sauce

• ⅓

  cup mirin

• 3

  packed tablespoons dark brown sugar

Preparation

1. Combine the sake, soy sauce, mirin and brown sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a light boil over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Continue boiling, stirring occasionally, until the liquid thickens and a raft of tan foam bubbles on the surface, 7 to 10 minutes.
2. Remove from the heat and use immediately or refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. When ready to use, reheat until warm and runny, and drizzle over grilled, seared or broiled salmon, sablefish, yellowtail, chicken, pork, steak, tofu, eggplant, asparagus, broccoli, or summer or winter squash. Use as a seasoning to mix into meatballs or patties.