Caramelized Soy and Blackberry Glaze

Name: Caramelized Soy and Blackberry Glaze
Yield: Makes 1 1/4 cups
Ingredients: 2 cups mirin (sweet rice wine); 1 1/4 cups soy sauce; 1 cup sugar; 1/2 cup blackberry jam

December 9, 2011

On a recent trip to one of my favorite vineyards in California, Seghesio, I stopped by a restaurant in downtown Healdsburg. The sign promising sushi (yes, pitmasters do occasionally enjoy a plate of sushi) drew me to a seat overlooking a fresh seafood bar, where in addition to sushi a wide variety of fried and grilled appetizers was available. The food was great, but what caught my eye and taste buds was the variety of sauces that accompanied their fresh fare, especially their caramelized soy sauce. This deep black sauce had the consistency of molasses but with a rich chocolate flavor. Surprisingly, it worked very well with the seafood. In my mind I was envisioning chocolate shrimp, chocolate chicken, and chocolate ribs! Well, maybe I got a little carried away, but it did inspire this glaze.

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