In a nutshell: 3 homemade umami sauces: (1) anchovy-melted butter (5 min, universal base), (2) umami bomb with miso + soy + anchovy (15 min, Japanese-Spanish flavor), (3) quick dashi broth (3 min, replaces industrial bouillon cubes). Each one transforms any simple dish.
Table of contents
Sauce 1: Anchovy-melted butter (5 min)
Ingredients: 4 chopped Cantabrian anchovies, 60g salted butter, 1 crushed garlic, fresh parsley, white pepper, juice of half a lemon.
Preparation: Melt butter over low heat (NEVER boil). Add garlic, sauté for 1 min without browning. Add chopped anchovies and break up with a spoon (they melt in 30 sec). Off heat: add lemon, parsley, pepper.
Uses: pasta (pour over al dente spaghetti), grilled fish, roasted vegetables, toasted bread, roasted potatoes. Stores for 5 days in the refrigerator.
Sauce 2: Umami bomb with miso + soy + anchovy (15 min)
Ingredients: 3 Cantabrian anchovies, 1 tsp white miso, 1 tbsp Japanese soy sauce, 1 tbsp mirin (sweet wine), 1 garlic, 1 tsp grated ginger, 1 tsp sugar, 50ml water.
Preparation: Grind everything in a mortar until it forms a paste. Add water little by little. Cook for 2 min in a pan over low heat to combine.
Uses: meat marinade 30 min before grilling, fish glaze (tuna, salmon, cod), wok sauce with vegetables, dip for homemade nuggets. Stores for 10 days in the refrigerator.
Sauce 3: Quick dashi broth (3 min)
Ingredients: 1L water, 1 piece konbu (dried seaweed) 10g, 30g dried bonito (katsuobushi flakes).
Preparation: In a saucepan: water + konbu, medium heat. When it boils, remove konbu (DO NOT boil konbu, it will become bitter). Add dried bonito. Turn off heat and let sit for 2-3 min. Strain with a fine sieve. Set aside.
Uses: miso soup base, risotto base, boiling vegetables (instead of water), reduced sauces, fish glaze. Stores for 5 days in the refrigerator (refrigerate immediately).
When to use each sauce
Anchovy-butter: quick, Western, Mediterranean. When you want "the dish tastes like an Italian restaurant."
Umami bomb with miso: exotic flavor, Spanish-Japanese fusion. To impress guests who don't expect that twist.
Dashi: neutral base for all umami cuisine. The most versatile but the most subtle — it doesn't provide a leading flavor, it enhances the main ingredients.
Frequently asked questions
What kind of anchovies to use for umami sauces?
Where can I buy konbu and dried bonito for dashi?
Can I freeze umami sauces?
Can I substitute miso with soy sauce?
Which of the 3 sauces has the most umami?
Do umami sauces replace industrial bouillon cubes?
To conclude
Once you have these 3 sauces in your repertoire, you will never again cook a simple dish without depth. The anchovy-butter sauce is the most addictive due to its ease. To start well, you need quality Cantabrian anchovies — the difference between a good anchovy-butter sauce and a mediocre one lies in the anchovy fillet, not the butter.
