Sweet-and-Salty Soy Sauce

Ingredients

• 300 ml naturally fermented Chinese soy sauce
• 90 g granulated brown sugar
• 90 ml water
• 20 g fresh ginger
• 1 clove fresh garlic clove
• 1 piece whole star anise
• 1 piece piece of cassia cinnamon
• 1 tsp whole Sichuan peppercorns

Method

1. Quickly rinse the ginger, lightly crush it with the flat side of a knife, and crush the garlic as well without trying to mince it. Keep the aromatics in pieces so they can be removed cleanly after infusing.
2. Place a small heavy-bottomed saucepan over low to medium heat. Add the water and brown sugar. Heat, stirring gently, until the sugar is completely dissolved and the liquid becomes clear and amber, without allowing it to caramelize heavily.
3. Add the soy sauce, then the ginger, garlic, star anise, cassia cinnamon, and Sichuan peppercorns. Bring only to a simmer: the surface should tremble with small, regular bubbles and never boil vigorously.
4. Reduce over low heat with the saucepan uncovered, stirring from time to time. The sauce should perfume the kitchen, darken slightly, and become glossy. It is ready when it coats the back of a spoon in a soft, still-fluid layer, without becoming sticky like caramel.
5. Turn off the heat and let the sauce infuse off the heat for a few minutes. This pause rounds out the salt and settles the spice notes without making them harsh.
6. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl or jar. Press the aromatics very lightly with the back of a spoon, without crushing them into a purée, to avoid bitterness.
7. Let cool completely. The sauce thickens slightly as it cools: it should remain pourable, glossy, and dark. If it seems too thick, loosen it with a little hot water; if it seems too thin, return it to a very gentle simmer for a few minutes.
8. Keep refrigerated in a clean jar. Serve in small amounts with rice, noodles, dumplings, steamed vegetables, roasted meats, or stir-fries, as a concentrated sweet-and-salty condiment.

Nutrition

Per serving

Energy

148.9 kcal

Protein

6.8 g

Carbohydrate

28.22 g

Fat

0.37 g

Fibre

1.03 g

Calcium

28.78 mg

Iron

1.39 mg

Magnesium

64.78 mg