Ponzu sauce is a simple dipping sauce served alongside various types of meats in Asian cuisine. It has a lemony base to it, being a bit more tart than other comparable sauces. On a more topical note, it’s great for dipping tempura into! The only problem? Most recipes for it call for dashi flakes, also known as fish flakes or fish powder. Gross. So in my infinite pickiness I decided to design an alternate version of the sauce that doesn’t use that nonsense. I present to you this ponzu sauce recipe without fish in it. I found that onions add a slight pungency that the fish flakes or fish stock would add to it in actual ponzu sauce. The resulting sauce tastes just as good, and pretty similar to more authentic versions with fish in them. It’s tart and dry, and goes great alongside grilled meats, vegetables, tempura, and other Asian treats.

Fishless Ponzu Sauce

• 3/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 2 tbsp mirin (substitute brown sugar)
• 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• ¼ cup onion flakes or freshly diced onions (substitute dashi/fish flakes for authenticity)

1. Combine soy sauce and citrus juices into a small sauce pot, over high heat.
2. Cook soy sauce and juice for 2-3 minutes until mixture is hot while stirring occasionally.
3. Add in vinegar and mirin, and stir to mix thoroughly. Add onion flakes and stir once again.
4. Cook sauce on medium heat for another 5 minutes until hot.
5. Strain onions out of sauce and serve in individual bowls as a dipping sauce for tempura, grilled vegetables and meats, or other foods.

Serves approximately four.