Miso Hungry
September 5, 2008 11:56 PM   Subscribe

I have a tub of "white type" miso paste. What are some yummy things I can do with it?
posted by sevenyearlurk to Food & Drink (13 answers total) 32 users marked this as a favorite
 
Best answer: I assume you know how to make miso soup, right? Right?

May I recommend Esme's Sauce, my favorite vegan pasta sauce? Surprisingly creamy and with a great bite.

Miso salad dressing is amazing, too.

Here's another great thread about white miso paste. [Chowhound link]
posted by mynameisluka at 12:06 AM on September 6, 2008 [1 favorite]


Best answer: nasu dengaku must be the most sublime dish I've ever had.
posted by randomstriker at 12:39 AM on September 6, 2008 [3 favorites]


I like to make basil pesto with white miso in place of Parmesan cheese: combine 1 cup of fresh basil leaves, 1/2 c. olive oil, 1/4 c. walnuts, and 1-2 teaspoons of white miso in a food processor. Add fresh ground black pepper to taste. The miso adds a very hearty flavor to the pesto. Be careful with adding extra salt - the miso is salty enough that you might not need to add any more.
posted by rhiannon at 12:43 AM on September 6, 2008 [2 favorites]


You can make a nice dip by mashing tofu, ginger, and white miso together.
posted by Wolof at 1:44 AM on September 6, 2008


I'll second randomstriker's nasu dengaku recommendation; somehow miso and eggplant go really well together. I've also had some kind of similar dish where the miso had either ground beef or some meat sauce mixed in.

There's also a common stir fry type dish in Japan that is usually sliced eggplant, green peppers, ground (or thin sliced) pork, and a sauce that is part miso, part chili paste, some sesame oil, and a bit of garlic (maybe a little vinegar too) - they sell the sauce pre-made too.

You could also do some version of "saba no miso ni" (simmered mackerel in a sweet miso sauce)- googling should give you a few variations of the dish.
posted by p3t3 at 2:38 AM on September 6, 2008


It's almost banal in comparison with some of the suggestions above, but I love white miso paste spread thinly on sourdough toast for breakfast. Yum!
posted by tim_in_oz at 4:53 AM on September 6, 2008 [1 favorite]


Best answer: Add it as a flavoring to veggie (or light meat) stir fries.

Generally use it as a (much) jazzier salting agent.

Marinate fish in a slurry of it (with a bit of olive oil, wine, tamari, and/or stock)
posted by jimmyjimjim at 7:01 AM on September 6, 2008


BTW, brand to look for is South River. Available via mail order or at some upscale health food stores. Especially don't miss their miso tamari. And they have a dynamite free recipe booklet.
posted by jimmyjimjim at 7:12 AM on September 6, 2008


Best answer: I love miso-marinated chicken. The recipe I started with was this one from Epicurious. This is a good base recipe that can be tweaked as you see fit.
posted by peacheater at 9:18 AM on September 6, 2008


Nobu-style black cod with miso

When I ate this at nobu, it was that good, I almost miso'd my pants
posted by lalochezia at 10:19 AM on September 6, 2008


Best answer: I kinda cringe every time someone refers to Butterfish Misoyaki as "Nobu Style" miso marinated black cod. Nobu doesn't deserve the recognition (nor the overinflated $$$) for something that almost every asian household (esp. in my home state of Hawaii) has been eating as a common picnic/luau staple for many decades. But indeed, the combination of firm-fleshed, oily fish marinated for at least a day in white miso, ginger, mirin and sugar, then grilled over coals (or even pan fried) is one of the most heavenly concoctions known to man.

The recipe lalochezia posted is a good start, but adding grated, fresh ginger and sake to the marinade--as is common in most Hawaii versions of the recipe--just sends the flavor into the stratosphere. So insanely tasty.

Common variants are Misoyaki Salmon (you have to be careful not to overcook the salmon, or it gets too dry) and Misoyaki Beef.
posted by melorama at 1:41 AM on September 7, 2008 [1 favorite]


Response by poster: Thanks everyone for some great suggestions! As soon as I buy some mirin I will be experimenting with several of these recipes.
posted by sevenyearlurk at 12:28 PM on September 7, 2008


I just whisk the miso with some mirin, soy sauce, honey, and maybe some sesame oil. it's a great marinade for fish and chicken
posted by chickaboo at 6:20 PM on September 7, 2008


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