sake
Japanese rice wine, used in cooking mainly to round out flavours, tame fishy notes and add umami.
Sake is sold in Asian grocers, well-stocked wine and spirits shops or by mail order; for cooking a plain, dry drinking sake is fine, while the salted cooking sake from Asian shops changes the amount of salt in the recipe.
Substitute:
Dry sherry or Chinese Shaoxing wine come closest but bring their own stronger flavour; mirin is not a substitute because it is distinctly sweet.
Used in
Buri no TeriyakiPan-fried yellowtail glazed in soy sauce, mirin and ginger30 minButadonGlazed pork over hot rice, on the table in half an hour30 minChahanLoose-grained fried rice with garlic, char siu, egg and fresh shiso ribbons20 minChawanmushiSteamed savoury egg custard with chicken, shrimp and shiitake40 minGyudonThinly sliced beef and onion simmered in a sweet-salty broth over warm rice30 minHambāguJuicy pan-fried patties with cabbage and ginger, quick ketchup-Worcestershire sauce45 minKinpira GobōBurdock root and carrot in soy sauce and mirin, finished with toasted sesame30 minMame GohanJapanese short-grain rice steamed with fresh green peas, sake and kombu70 minMushidoriJuicy chicken with a curried vegetable paste or sesame sauce, on lettuce leaves30 minNegima-NabeTuna, thick Japanese leeks and tofu simmered in seasoned dashi30 minNikujagaJapanese simmered beef, potatoes and shirataki in a sweet soy broth45 minOmuraisuKetchup rice under a soft egg wrapper, with sauce spooned over30 minOyakodonChicken and softly set egg over hot rice, on the table in 25 minutes25 minSake no TeriyakiSalmon in a glossy teriyaki glaze of soy sauce, honey, ginger and garlic30 minTakikomi GohanOne-pot rice with beef, garlic and butter, finished with fresh shiso70 minTeriyaki no TareJapanese teriyaki sauce from soy sauce, mirin and sake — ready in fifteen minutes15 minTori No TeriyakiChicken in a glossy soy-mirin glaze, finished with sesame and spring onion35 minTsukuneJuicy chicken meatballs under a glossy coat of reduced tare45 min