notes
the traditional Japanese recipe.
- Many recipes call for cornstarch. This is unnecessary; if you add enough sugar and cook it down a few more minutes it will thicken on its own.
- If you can’t clean the pan immediately, soak it in hot water to dissolve the sugar.
- The sauce will thicken as it cools, so it’s fine to leave it on the runnier side and let it sit for a bit.
tools
- saucepan
- spatula
ingredients
- low sodium soy sauce
- sake
- If you don’t have sake, substitute it for more mirin and add less sugar.
- mirin
- If you don’t have mirin either, it’s just going to taste like sweet soy sauce. I recommend buying bottled teriyaki sauce instead.
- sugar
steps
- put a saucepan on medium heat.
- combine equal parts soy sauce, sake, and mirin in the pan.
- add a generous amount of sugar.
- cook until sauce thickens into the consistency of maple syrup, stirring frequently.
troubleshooting
- too thin: add more sugar and cook longer.
- too salty: add more sugar and cook for less time.
- too sweet: add less sugar. (most mirin is also sweetened)
- tastes burnt: turn down the heat and stir more.
pairings
- rice + grilled chicken + teriyaki sauce
- rice + grilled salmon + teriyaki sauce
- spam musubi