A Simple Teriyaki Sauce Recipe

 By Anne M. Clarke

Teriyaki sauce is such a delicious flavoring, but few Westerners understand that, strictly speaking, the Japanese word teriyaki is not a sauce but a method of cooking. The first part of the word, teri means "shiny", and the yaki means grilling or broiling. Thus teriyaki is a method of grilling fish or meat while giving it a shiny visual finish.
The teriyaki sauce as most modern Westerners know it is basically a sweet soy sauce marinade. It is traditionally made from soy sauce, sake or mirin, and sugar or honey, all combined and boiled until it reduced to the desired consistency. Commercial bottled teriyaki sauces likely to contain MSG, corn syrup, high levels of fructose and other additives to reduce cost and to extend shelf life.
Teriyaki sauce is one of those sauces which for which everyone has their own special recipe. Because it is flavored with Japanese wine, it has a special taste and it is worth seeking out the authentic ingredients. With the right ingredients teriyaki sauce is so simple to make at home.
This is probably the easiest recipe you have ever seen! The quantities can be adjusted - just make sure that you keep the proportions correct.
Recipe for Teriyaki Sauce
Ingredients

• 1 cup soy sauce
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup mirin
• 1 cup cooking sake (or just 2 cups of mirin)

Method

• Combine all ingredients in a saucepan, bring to the boil.
• Reduce the heat to low and allow the sauce to simmer for about 10 minutes. Allow to cool.
• Add extra items to enhance color and flavor if desired. Suggestions: shredded ginger, chopped green onions, minced garlic, chopped fresh pineapple, orange juice, honey, toasted sesame seeds.
• This sauce will keep for several weeks in a sealed container in the fridge.

Once prepared, the mixture can be used as both a marinade and a sauce. The fish or meat to be cooked is first allowed to sit in the sauce for a few minutes so the flavours can penetrate. If it is to be cooked on an open grill or broiler, the sauce is brushed or spooned over it several times during the cooking. If it is pan-fried, the sauce can be added to the pan to mingle with the cooking juices and be served as part of the dish.
Teriyaki sauce can also be used as a dipping sauce, and is especially good with small meatballs on toothpicks or skewers and similar finger food for parties. Just don't let it drop on a light-colored carpet!
Watch me making this simple teriyaki sauce at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrOQTRMsq78 - I hope you enjoy it!

Anne Clarke, known as The Sauceress, is a recipe publlisher, enthusiatic amateur cook and giver of dinner parties. Visit http://saucerecipes.tv to see all her recipes and videos.

For more information please visit: http://thetruestoriesstories.blogspot.ca/p/soy-recipes.html
 

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