Soy Sauce with Rice Wine

Ingredients

• 160 ml Chinese light soy sauce
• 90 ml Shaoxing rice wine
• 25 ml Chinese dark soy sauce
• 18 g white granulated sugar
• 20 g fresh ginger
• 2 cloves fresh garlic
• 40 ml filtered water
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil

Method

1. Prepare the aromatics: peel the ginger and lightly crush it with the flat side of a knife, then crush the garlic cloves without chopping them. The aim is to perfume the sauce, not leave pieces suspended in it.
2. Pour the soy sauces, Shaoxing rice wine, water, and sugar into a small heavy-bottomed saucepan. Add the crushed ginger and garlic.
3. Heat over medium-low, stirring until the sugar has completely dissolved. The sauce should become glossy and homogeneous, without coming to a full boil.
4. When small bubbles appear around the edges of the saucepan and the raw alcohol aroma of the rice wine softens, lower the heat. Maintain a very gentle simmer, just enough for the surface to tremble slightly.
5. Let it infuse over low heat until the sauce smells of warm soy, mellow rice wine, and ginger, with no burnt or sharp note. If the boil becomes vigorous, briefly remove the saucepan from the heat to keep the salty flavor from becoming harsh.
6. Turn off the heat, add the toasted sesame oil, and stir gently. It should remain a fragrant finishing note and should not be cooked.
7. Strain the sauce through a small fine-mesh strainer to remove the ginger and garlic. Press the aromatics very lightly with the back of a spoon, without crushing them into a purée.
8. Let it cool to lukewarm before using. The final texture should be fluid, dark, and glossy, closer to a concentrated seasoning than a thick sauce.
9. To serve, use a small amount: spoon it over food or season off the heat, or add it at the end of cooking fried rice to tint it lightly without making it soggy.

Nutrition

Per serving

Energy

85.5 kcal

Protein

4.01 g

Carbohydrate

8.44 g

Fat

1.32 g

Fibre

0.28 g

Calcium

13.62 mg

Iron

0.83 mg

Magnesium

40.59 mg