Sauces Recipe

Combine soy sauce, mirin, sake, brown sugar, grated ginger, and minced garlic in a small saucepan over medium heat.

Bring to a gentle simmer, stirring to dissolve sugar. Simmer 4–6 minutes to meld flavors.

Whisk cornstarch with 1 tbsp water to make a slurry. Slowly whisk slurry into the simmering sauce and cook 1–2 minutes until slightly thickened.

Remove from heat and let cool — sauce will thicken more as it cools. Taste and adjust sweetness or salt as needed. Store in a jar refrigerated up to 1 week.

Whisk together soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, and sugar in a small bowl until sugar dissolves.

Stir in minced garlic and sliced scallion. Let sit 10–15 minutes at room temperature for flavors to marry. Use as a finishing or dipping sauce; refrigerate up to 1 week.

In a small saucepan combine soy sauce, water, brown sugar, hoisin sauce, minced garlic, grated ginger, and red pepper flakes (if using).

Bring to a simmer over medium heat and stir until sugar dissolves. Simmer 2–3 minutes to concentrate flavor.

Mix cornstarch with 1 tbsp water to form a slurry. Whisk slurry into the simmering sauce and cook 1–2 minutes until glossy and slightly thickened. Remove from heat and cool briefly before using with stir-fries or grilled meats. Refrigerate up to 1 week.

In a small saucepan combine ketchup, rice vinegar, pineapple juice, brown sugar, and soy sauce. Whisk to blend.

Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat and cook 2–3 minutes to combine flavors.

Whisk cornstarch with 1 tbsp water to make a slurry. Add slurry to the simmering sauce and stir until the sauce thickens, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and cool slightly before serving. Refrigerate up to 1 week.

In a small saucepan bring chicken broth to a gentle simmer. Stir in mashed fermented black beans (or black bean paste), soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, minced ginger, and minced garlic.

Mix cornstarch with 1 tbsp water to create a slurry. Slowly whisk slurry into the simmering broth to slightly thicken, about 1–2 minutes.

Turn heat to low. Slowly drizzle the lightly beaten egg into the simmering sauce while stirring gently to create thin ribbons of cooked egg.

Stir in sesame oil and sliced green onion. Taste and adjust seasoning. Remove from heat and serve warm with seafood or vegetables. Refrigerate up to 3 days.

Fry Garlic Chips

Heat neutral oil in a small saucepan over medium heat to about 300–325°F (if you don’t have a thermometer, heat until oil shimmers but is not smoking).

Add thinly sliced garlic in a single layer and fry, stirring gently, until slices are golden-brown and crisp, about 1–2 minutes. Remove garlic chips with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

Carefully pour off most of the frying oil into a heatproof bowl (reserve about 1–2 tbsp oil in pan). Let the fried garlic oil cool slightly but remain warm.

Into the warm reserved oil (or the bowl with drained oil), whisk soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, chili flakes (if using), and sesame oil. Stir in the fried garlic chips and let the flavors meld 5–10 minutes before using. Store refrigerated up to 1 week; bring to room temperature before serving.