Japanify: Garlicky Gomadare (Sesame Sauce)

Whenever I had shabu-shabu as a kid, there was NEVER ENOUGH gomadare (sesame sauce). It has all the elements that leave you wanting more: sweet, salty and savory. I was never a huge meat fan and I looked forward to dunking udon in my mom's gomadare more than any other part of the shabu-shabu meal. So one of my "when-I-grow-up" dreams was to have a large supply of gomadare. Humble dreams, yes, I know.

With this simple gomadare recipe, I am ready, at pretty much any moment to make as many cups of gomadare as I want. It's a dream come true!

I've had the privilege of being invited to two shabu-shabu dinners this year already. With good company and good food, it's a pleasure to be able to share this gomadare with everyone. In addition to being sweet, salty and savory, I've added another feature: garlicky.

INGREDIENTS
Makes about 2 cups

7 cloves of garlic
8 tbsp sesame seeds ground (you can also substitute this with tahini)
5 tbsp Japanese mayo
4 tbsp sugar
4 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp vinegar
2 tbsp sake
2 tbsp miso (I prefer red)
2 tbsp grated ginger
1 tbsp sesame oil

1. Get your ingredients together. This is the hardest part of the recipe. There are a lot of things in gomadare and making sure that you have everything you need is probably the biggest challenge.



2. I like to roast my sesame seeds before grinding them up.



A suribachi (Japanese mortar and pestle) works wonders for grinding sesame seeds.



3. Grate ginger and garlic. If you are a huge garlic fan like me, try this recipe with these amounts of garlic. If not, you can include less cloves.



4. Mix everything together. If it's too salty, add some more sugar and vice versa. If you want something creamier, add more mayo.



This makes about 2 cups but it will quickly evolve into a quart, then a gallon if you multiply the recipe!  So indulgent!



This sauce is also ideal for stirfrys and as a dip for steamed vegetables.