All-Purpose Soy Sauce Base
Create a Versatile Soy Sauce Base: Simplify Your Cooking with Just One Sauce!
When feeling unwell and cooking every meal feels overwhelming, burdensome, or even repulsive, it’s hard to keep up. But meals are essential. That’s why I came up with a solution: a ‘versatile soy sauce base’ that can be used in a multitude of soy sauce-based dishes, minimizing the need for various seasonings. This recipe is perfect for those who suddenly feel unmotivated to cook or for busy individuals who need to prepare meals quickly.
*Recipes using the All-Purpose Soy Sauce Base (click to view):*
* Braised Potatoes in Soy Sauce @6938443
* Perilla Leaf Salad @6938451
* Stir-fried Pork Belly in Soy Sauce @6938479
* Abalone Soy Sauce Marinade (Rice Thief) @6938520
* Avocado Soy Sauce Marinade @6939039
* Stir-fried Smoked Duck with Kimchi @6939343
* Braised Tofu @6939443
* LA Galbi (Grilled Short Ribs) @6940124
* Crispy Cucumber Salad @6940195
Base Ingredients- 3 dried shiitake mushrooms
- 400ml water
- 10g dried kelp (dashima)
- 5-6 pieces licorice root
- 2 stalks green onion
- 1 apple
- 1/2 onion
- 2 tbsp whole black peppercorns
- 20 cloves garlic
- 3 Korean green chili peppers (cheongyang)
Seasoning Base- 400ml regular soy sauce (jin ganjang)
- 200ml plum extract (maesil cheong)
- 300ml grain syrup (jo cheong)
- 100ml anchovy sauce (chamchi aek)
- 400ml regular soy sauce (jin ganjang)
- 200ml plum extract (maesil cheong)
- 300ml grain syrup (jo cheong)
- 100ml anchovy sauce (chamchi aek)
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, soak the 3 dried shiitake mushrooms in 400ml of lukewarm water for about 30 minutes. This will allow their rich flavor to infuse into the water.
Step 2
Prepare all the other ingredients. For the apple, remove the core and seeds, then cut it into large chunks. Similarly, wash and cut the onion and green onions into large pieces.
Step 3
In a large pot or wok, combine the 400ml of regular soy sauce, 200ml of plum extract, 300ml of grain syrup, and 100ml of anchovy sauce. Add the soaked shiitake mushrooms along with their soaking water, and then add the chopped apple, green onions, onion, dried kelp, licorice root, 20 whole garlic cloves, and 2 tablespoons of whole black peppercorns, and 3 Korean green chili peppers. Bring this mixture to a boil over high heat.
Step 4
Once the mixture starts boiling, continue to cook for another 6-7 minutes. Then, reduce the heat to low and simmer gently for 40 minutes. Simmering allows the flavors from all the ingredients to meld beautifully into the soy sauce base. Don’t rush this step!
Step 5
After simmering, remove the pot from the heat and let the soy sauce base cool down slightly. Once it’s cool enough to handle, strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth to remove all the solid ingredients, leaving you with a clear, flavorful soy sauce base. Removing the solids prevents the sauce from becoming cloudy.
Step 6
Pour the strained, all-purpose soy sauce base into a sterilized glass jar or an airtight container. Store it in the refrigerator to maintain its freshness for a longer period. This versatile sauce will make your cooking incredibly convenient!
