Japanese Garlic Butter Soy Sauce

Name: Japanese Garlic Butter Soy Sauce
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 8 min
Total time: 13 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 75g unsalted butter, divided; 6 garlic cloves, very finely chopped or grated; 60ml Japanese soy sauce; 30ml mirin; 1 tbsp sake or water; 2 tsp light brown sugar; 1 tsp rice vinegar; ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper

A glossy Japanese garlic butter sauce made with mellow garlic, savoury soy, mirin and a touch of sweetness. Ready in minutes for steak, seafood, vegetables, rice or noodles.

13 mins Serves 4On the Hob

Ingredients ↓Method ↓

Method

5 mins prep8 mins cook13 mins total

Melt 50g of the butter in a small saucepan over a low heat.
Add the garlic and cook gently for 2–3 minutes, stirring often, until fragrant and soft without browning.
Stir in the soy sauce, mirin, sake and brown sugar. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 2–3 minutes.
Take the pan off the heat, then stir in the rice vinegar, black pepper and remaining 25g butter until glossy.
Spoon the warm sauce over cooked meat, seafood, vegetables, rice or noodles.

Notes

Use unsalted butter because the soy sauce already brings plenty of salt.

For a creamy version, stir in 2 tbsp double cream after removing the pan from the heat.

Add ½ tsp chilli oil or shichimi togarashi for gentle heat.

For garlic mushrooms, fry sliced mushrooms until browned, then toss them through the finished sauce.

The sauce should simmer gently; boiling it hard can make it greasy or overly salty.

Cool and refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 4 days. The butter will set when chilled. Reheat gently over a low heat, stirring until smooth; do not boil.

About this recipe

This glossy Japanese-inspired garlic butter sauce comes together in one small saucepan, combining mellow garlic, savoury soy, mirin and a little brown sugar for a balanced finish.

Keep the garlic over low heat so it softens without colouring, then finish with rice vinegar, pepper and butter off the heat. Spoon it over steak, chicken, prawns, mushrooms, rice or noodles.

It is a useful make-ahead sauce for quick meals: refrigerate leftovers and rewarm gently until smooth.