Infusing is a relatively simple concept with a few guidelines:
- place clean solids in liquid and wait.
- Taste as you go; the flavors will intensify – to a point. Eventually an infusion can go bitter or the solids can rot.
- Infusions happen faster in warm temperatures than cold.
- For fast infusing, chop the solids small. For longer infusions, chop them large.
We had some amazing (and sustainable tuna) from our friends at Hooked over the holidays. I wanted to take the opportunity to experiment with infusing soya sauce. The ingredients weren’t seasonal but the results were awesome – and I plan to experiment with other flavors.
For this infusion, we used hot and sweet peppers. It only took a few hours but the change in taste was remarkable and notable. As with any infusion, taste often and remove the solids when the liquid tastes the way that you like. In this case I left the solids in the sauce (they were in the liquid for less than a day) and served them with the raw tuna.
INFUSING SOYA SAUCE – INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup of soya sauce
- 1/3 cup of finely chopped peppers. Mix as many hot and sweet as you’d like. Because I like hot peppers, I used about 1/3rd hot and 2/3rds sweet.
INFUSING SOYA SAUCE – INSTRUCTIONS
- Mix ingredients.
- Cover.
- Leave on counter for 6-12 hours (the warmer it is, the quicker the flavors will transfer).
- Before deciding on straining (vs. using the solids), taste a few first. If they are too salty for you, remove.
BONUS: INFUSED SOYA SAUCE WITH TUNA SASHIMI
- Cut slices of fresh fish that is suitable for sashimi (a good fish monger will help you)
- Dress with infused soya sauce right before serving (you’re not infusing the fish!)
What flavors would you infuse into soya sauce?