Japanese Espagnole sauce
This takes a classic french sauce and turns it on its head with bold Japanese flavours – Unusual, delicious, and doable on the stovetop in a fraction of the time needed for a traditional espagnole sauce.
Japanese espagnole sauce
This extremely versatile sauce can be used for any meat, poultry, veg or as a gravy for mashed potatoes/rice.You can add other vegetables to make it a stew in its own right, think carrots/peas/zucchini etc, if you want it totally smooth smash it through the blender, but I like the texture of cooked onion/garlic.
Servings 4
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp oil for frying
- 1 large onion, minced
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 cm fresh ginger, mashed
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 small red or green chilli, deseeded and chopped
- 2 heaped tsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1/2 cup naturally brewed soya sauce
- 1 tsp dashi granules
- Hot water
Instructions
- Fry your onions, sugar, garlic, ginger and chilli until soft and turning golden - about 10-15 min. Add the sesame oil.
- Mix the dashi granules and cornstarch with a little soya sauce in a bowl to make a paste without lumps. Add the rest of the soya sauce, and add to the onions. The sauce will thicken up immediately - stir constantly, adding hot water until you get your desired consistency. Good rule of thumb is about 1-2 cups of water, but there are no hard rules.
Don't let the sauce boil for long - it will lose its flavour. Bring to the boil and serve.
Variations:
- Blend and push through a sieve for a smooth, thick gravy.
- Can be stretched with vegetables - add them once the onions are soft, and cook until done before adding the soya sauce/cornstarch slurry.
