Rice Free Gluten Free Eel Sauce
That deep, glossy drizzle you get at a sushi restaurant is surprisingly easy to recreate at home, and this version uses just four pantry ingredients. Tamari steps in as the soy sauce base here, which is key — most conventional soy sauces contain wheat, making them off-limits for anyone avoiding gluten, but tamari is typically brewed without it. Combined with mirin, sake, and a little sugar, the sauce simmers down into something wonderfully sticky, sweet, and savory all at once. The reduction process is where the magic happens: as the liquid cooks off, the natural sugars concentrate and the sauce takes on that signature lacquered shine. A little patience near the end of cooking goes a long way — pull it off the heat at just the right moment and you'll have a sauce that clings beautifully to grilled fish, rice-free noodle bowls, or roasted vegetables. It keeps well in a sealed jar, so making a batch ahead of time is absolutely worth it.
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Learn more →Ingredients
8 servings
- ½ cup tamari
- ½ cup mirin
- ¼ cup sake
- 3 tbsp granulated sugar
Instructions
- 1
Combine the tamari, mirin, sake, and sugar in a small saucepan. Whisk over medium heat until the sugar is fully dissolved, about 1–2 minutes.
- 2
Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has reduced by about one-third and coats the back of a spoon with a thin, glossy layer, 10–12 minutes. Watch closely toward the end — the sugar can scorch quickly.
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