Teriyaki Mushroom Sauce with Grilled Salmon

The people who sell you ready-made teriyaki sauce are ripping you off! Not only is it expensive, but the taste of the bottled stuff is flat, chemically and too-sweet.
The secret is, teriyaki sauce is really only 3 ingredients. Sure, you can get all fancy and put more, like sesame seeds, a little grated ginger and garlic. But plain and simple, teriyaki sauce is equal parts sugar, sweet cooking wine (mirin) and soy sauce. Though, if you’re like me, and prefer a less-sweet version, I use a lot  less sugar.

Ingredients:

• Four 6-ounce salmon fillets
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 12 ounces fresh king oyster mushrooms or fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced
• 1 1/2 tablespoons cooking oil, separated
• 1 stalk green onion, thinly sliced (optional)
• for the Easy Teriyaki Sauce
• 1/4 cup soy sauce 1/4 cup mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine)
• 2 tablespoons sugar (or more if you like a sweet teriyaki)

Method:

1. To make the Easy Teriyaki Sauce, whisk all the sauce ingredients in a small sauce pan and simmer on low for 3 minutes, until the sauce has thickened slightly.

2. Brush salmon fillets with 1 tablespoon of the cooking oil, season with salt and pepper. Heat a frying pan over high heat. and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side, until just cooked through. Remove the salmon to a plate to let rest.

3. Return the frying pan to the stove on medium-high heat. When hot, add the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of cooking oil. Add the mushrooms and saute for about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low and add the teriyaki sauce, let simmer for 1 minute. Serve the teriyaki mushrooms on top of the salmon. Garnish with green onion, if desired.