KITCHEN PRACTICE 1 — Build and Reduce a Teriyaki-Style Tare
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TASK
Build a batch of tare and reduce it properly. Watch how it changes
consistency as it reduces, and stop once it genuinely coats the back
of a spoon.

WALKTHROUGH

Step 1 — Combine the four ingredients.
Roughly equal parts soy sauce, mirin, and sake (3 tablespoons each is
a good small batch), plus 1-2 tablespoons sugar, in a small saucepan.

Step 2 — Simmer gently, uncovered.
Watch it rather than walking away - it starts thin and watery, and the
change in consistency happens gradually rather than all at once near
the end.

Step 3 — Test as it reduces.
Every couple of minutes, dip a spoon in and run a finger across the
back of it. Early on, the liquid runs straight back together
immediately. As it reduces, it starts to leave a visible trail for a
moment before closing back up - that's the real "coats the back of a
spoon" test, not just a figure of speech.

Step 4 — Stop at the right point.
Take it off the heat once that trail holds for a couple of seconds.
It will thicken further as it cools, so slightly underdone rather than
overdone is the safer place to stop.

Step 5 — Taste it.
It should taste balanced - savoury, sweet, with real depth from the
sake and mirin - not one-dimensionally sweet or salty.

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WHY THIS MATTERS
Judging reduction by sight and feel, rather than a fixed cooking time,
is a genuinely transferable skill - the exact time needed varies with
pan size, heat level, and batch size, but "does it coat a spoon" works
regardless of those variables. This same judgment applies directly
when applying the glaze in Kitchen Practice 2.