This paste is similar to what goes onto black cod or sablefish to make the very popular “Cod Miso-yaki”, although this iteration was concocted for roasted turnips. You could also apply this to carrots or tofu as a marinade to prepare them for roasting, or apply it to pork for a while before grilling it.
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup white miso
½ tablespoon sake
1 tablespoon mirin
Around ½ inch x 1 inch piece peeled ginger, finely grated for juice with a ginger grater or Microplane
½ teaspoon artisanal soy sauce (look for this in a Japanese market or grocery store such as Marukai or Mitsuwa.)
Sugar or agave syrup to taste (you want at least a little in the marinade so it adds color as it caramelizes)
Water as needed -OR- Orange juice as needed if you wish to add an orange flavor
METHOD:
Place the miso, sake, and mirin in a non-reactive bowl together. Use a sturdy whisk to combine. Taste for salt, and then add the soy sauce and whisk in. If there is little salt, use a little more. If salty, use less. The soy sauce will depth of flavor and help each part of the dish to “pop”.
Squeeze the ginger over the miso mixture to yield around a teaspoon of juice, then set the ginger in a small bowl in case you need more, and whisk in the juice. Taste-if you do not taste the ginger, add a touch. Ginger will build in heat and pre-dominance as it sits, so go light at first. You should be able to just taste the ginger and not feel it too much on the tongue.
Add water a tablespoon at a time until the paste takes on a consistency that is a little loose, but will stick to the fish in a clumpy paste. Taste for balance, and even out as needed.
The paste is ready to use. If you are making carrots, this sauce is great for whole roast carrots, especially if you use orange juice instead of water to loosen up the paste. Depending on application, you could use different liquids for thinning the paste such as orange or lemon juice.
Store Refrigerated.
Chef’s Notes: Use this paste to coat vegetables for roasting, on fish or pork. In a pinch, you could add some to a bowl of ramen if you required something with a flavor other than that supplied in the little silver packets.
Yield: Around 1 cup, or enough to make dinner for four
Source: Chef Andrew E Cohen
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