Comments on: Miso Hungry

Question: Miso Hungry

sevenyearlurk — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 23:56:15 -0800

I have a tub of "white type" miso paste. What are some yummy things I can do with it?

By: mynameisluka

mynameisluka — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 00:06:02 -0800

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]

By: randomstriker

randomstriker — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 00:39:03 -0800

nasu dengaku must be the most sublime dish I've ever had.

By: rhiannon

rhiannon — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 00:43:30 -0800

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.

By: Wolof

Wolof — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 01:44:24 -0800

You can make a nice dip by mashing tofu, ginger, and white miso together.

By: p3t3

p3t3 — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 02:38:13 -0800

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.

By: tim_in_oz

tim_in_oz — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 04:53:16 -0800

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!

By: jimmyjimjim

jimmyjimjim — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 07:01:32 -0800

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)

By: jimmyjimjim

jimmyjimjim — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 07:12:16 -0800

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.

By: peacheater

peacheater — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 09:18:12 -0800

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.

By: lalochezia

lalochezia — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 10:19:22 -0800

Nobu-style black cod with miso

When I ate this at nobu, it was that good, I almost miso'd my pants

By: melorama

melorama — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 01:41:33 -0800

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.

By: sevenyearlurk

sevenyearlurk — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 12:28:10 -0800

Thanks everyone for some great suggestions! As soon as I buy some mirin I will be experimenting with several of these recipes.

By: chickaboo

chickaboo — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 18:20:50 -0800

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