Soy Concentrate
(adopted from Washoku Cookbook by Elizabeth Andoh, this post copied from Helen Rennie's blog, beyond salmon.com)
20 square inches kombu (5 g)
1/2 cup dry shiitake mushrooms (8 g)
1 1/3 cup soy sauce (10 oz)
2/3 cup sake (buy the real stuff, don’t use “sake for cooking”)
1/4 cup mirin
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup, plus 2 tsp sugar
1 cup lightly packed katsuo-bushi (or 10 large slices of thick bonito shavings, atsu kezuri)
*Judging doneness with this sauce is tricky. Luckily, it will still be good whether you make it thicker or thinner. After you make it a few times, you’ll develop your own preference for how thick and syrupy you like it. I like mine very thick (after refrigeration, I want it to feel like molasses) and this recipe only yields about 2/3 cup sauce for me. You might like yours thinner. The thicker you like it, the harder it is to push the sauce through the paper towel, so you might want to reduce it only in half, add katsuo-bushi, strain, then return the sauce to a clean saucepan and continue to reduce it. Keep in mind that the sauce becomes a lot thicker as it cools. To help you make a guess about its texture as it cooks, put a few drops on a cold plate and wait a few minutes. Touch the drops with your finger to see how they feel. You are aiming for the consistency of maple syrup.
20 square inches kombu (5 g)
1/2 cup dry shiitake mushrooms (8 g)
1 1/3 cup soy sauce (10 oz)
2/3 cup sake (buy the real stuff, don’t use “sake for cooking”)
1/4 cup mirin
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup, plus 2 tsp sugar
1 cup lightly packed katsuo-bushi (or 10 large slices of thick bonito shavings, atsu kezuri)
- In a small saucepan, combine everything together except for katsuo-bushi (unless you are using atsu kezuri, in which case, add it right in). Let sit for 1 to 12 hours at room temperature.
- Bring to a boil on the stove top and regulate heat so that the mixture bubbles, but doesn’t bubble out of the pot (watch out, this sauce gets foamy, so don’t leave it unattended). Simmer until syrupy and reduced to your liking.* Take off heat.
- If using katsuo-bushi, stir them into the sauce and let sit for 3 minutes.
- Dampen a paper towel in water and line a fine mesh sieve set over a bowl. Strain the sauce through this set up forcing it through with the back of a ladle.
- Cool until barely warm and move to a jar or squeeze bottle. When the sauce cools completely, cover tightly and store in the fridge. This sauce doesn’t spoil, but is best if used within 3 months.
*Judging doneness with this sauce is tricky. Luckily, it will still be good whether you make it thicker or thinner. After you make it a few times, you’ll develop your own preference for how thick and syrupy you like it. I like mine very thick (after refrigeration, I want it to feel like molasses) and this recipe only yields about 2/3 cup sauce for me. You might like yours thinner. The thicker you like it, the harder it is to push the sauce through the paper towel, so you might want to reduce it only in half, add katsuo-bushi, strain, then return the sauce to a clean saucepan and continue to reduce it. Keep in mind that the sauce becomes a lot thicker as it cools. To help you make a guess about its texture as it cooks, put a few drops on a cold plate and wait a few minutes. Touch the drops with your finger to see how they feel. You are aiming for the consistency of maple syrup.
