Japanese Appetizers, Soups and Noodles Recipes - Grilled Bean Curd Topped with Miso (Tofu Dengaku) Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 cakes firm tofu (about 1 lb/500 g)Miso Toppings

• 6 tablespoons white miso

• 3 tablespoons sake

• 3 tablespoons mirin

• 1 tablespoon sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon very finely grated yuzu   

• orange or lemon peel

• 1/3 cup (10 g) kinome, watercress, parsley leaves or spinach leaves

Red Dengaku Miso

• 3 tablespoons red miso

• 1 1/2 tablespoons sake

• 1/2-1 tablespoon sugar

• 1 tablespoon water

• 1 1/2 tablespoons mirin

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Method:

1. Remove the excess moisture from the tofu by wrapping it in a clean cloth and placing it between two cutting boards for 20 minutes. Cut the tofu into half horizontally and then into quarters to obtain rectangular strips.

2. Prepare the three miso toppings. Make the light yellow and green Miso Toppings by combining the miso, sake, mirin and sugar in a saucepan and bring almost to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring well to dissolve the sugar. Divide the mixture into two bowls.

3. Add the grated citrus peel to one bowl, stir and set aside.

4. To make the green topping: Grind the greens using a mortar and pestle or finely mince. Squeeze to obtain a small quantity of green juice. Add this green juice to the other bowl of the miso mixture. Stir and set aside.

5. For the red topping, put the ingredients for the Red Dengaku Miso in a small saucepan. Bring almost to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. stirring well to dissolve the sugar. Remove from the heat and set aside.

6. Grill the pieces of tofu under a broiler for 1 minute until lightly browned on both sides. Spread each piece of tofu with one of the three toppings and return to the grill briefly until brown on top. If you like. carefully insert a skewer into each tofu rectangle as shown. Serve hot.