This morning I made my first batch of Teriyaki sauce, and since I had never made it before, and so many of the recipes and techniques I read varied, I just went with the standard proportions and used what was on hand.
1/2 cup Ozeki saki
1/2 cup Kikkoman Aji Mirin
1/2 cup Kikkoman mild (lower sodium) soy sauce
1/4 cup granulated sugar
Into a saucepan, brought to a mild boil, simmered for 10-12 minutes until slightly thickened, and poured the whole thing into a waiting Mason jar.
The first thing that I noticed was that the sauce became more mellow after heating, flavors more homogenous, sharp edges softened, and the sweetness, while still there, seemed, for lack of better phraseology, gentler.
I didn't want to add any additional flavors to the sauce, although I next want to try the same recipe and add some ginger juice to it. It's also time to start looking at ingredient choices. The Ozeki sake was recommended by a good Japanese cook, but the other ingredients were bought for convenience, off the shelf in a local market.
If you make Teriyaki sauce at home, what do you use for the mirin, sake, and soy sauce? By how much do you reduce the sauce?
One brief comment: even though this was a first attempt, the results were more than acceptable and beter than the (few) prepared sauces I've tried. I'm really looking forward to trying different ingredients and experimenting with technique.
