Umami sauce

Essentially meaning 'savoury' in Japanese, umami-rich foods have the power to bring out the taste of other ingredients. Use this sauce as a dip, add a spoonful to soups, blend it in a dressing – consider it your secret flavour weapon.

• makes

  1 litre

• prep

  5 minutes

• cook

  5 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Stream free On Demand

Umami

episode • The Cook Up with Adam Liaw • 

cooking • 

25m

G

episode • The Cook Up with Adam Liaw • 

cooking • 

25m

G

Ingredients

• 200 ml mirin
• 200 ml sake
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 750 ml (3 cups) light soy sauce
• 4 dried shiitake mushrooms
• 1 piece kombu (around 10 cm square), wiped with a damp cloth
• 1 handful bonito flakes
• 1 handful dried scallops
• 1 handful dried shrimp
• 1 tsp fish sauce

Instructions

1. Place the mirin, sake and sugar in a large saucepan and bring to the boil. Flambe and allow to burn until the flames die off. Add all the remaining ingredients and stand for 1 hour. Strain and transfer to a bottle.

 

Photography by Adam Liaw.

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Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

Stream free On Demand

Umami

episode • The Cook Up with Adam Liaw • 

cooking • 

25m

G

episode • The Cook Up with Adam Liaw • 

cooking • 

25m

G