Recipe courtesy of David Rosengarten
Bean Curd Dengaku with Miso Toppings
- Yield: 4 Servings
- Total: 1 hr 30 min
- Prep: 1 hr 15 min
- Cook: 15 min
Ingredients
White and Red Miso Toppings:
Scant 3/4 cup plus 3 tablespoon white miso
1/2 cup red miso
4 egg yolks
4 tablespoons sake
4 tablespoons mirin
4 tablespoons sugar
14 tablespoons dashi
Fragrant seasonings:
Ground toasted sesame seeds
Grated rind of yuzu citron, lemon or lime
Ground kinome leaves
Fresh ginger juice
Dengaku:
2 cakes white tofu, preferably "cotton" tofu
1 green bell pepper
Garnishes:
White poppy seeds
Kinome sprigs
Toasted white sesame seeds
Toasted black sesame seeds
Directions
- Make white and red miso toppings: Put 3/4 cup white miso in top of a double boiler; put 3 tablespoon white miso and red miso in top of a separate double boiler. Add half of yolks, sake, mirin and sugar to each and blend well. Place both tops over simmering water and gradually blend half of dashi into each miso mixture, stirring until thick. Add choice of one of the fragrant seasonings to each topping. Cool toppings to room temperature.
- Wrap tofu cakes in towels, weight with a dinner plate and let stand 1 hour to press out water. Prepare a charcoal fire, or alternatively heat a stovetop grill or broiler. Cut cakes into 3/8 by 3/4 by 2-inch pieces. Cut green pepper into same size strips. Skewer each piece of tofu on double-pronged "pine needle" skewers, or use 2 bamboo skewers. Skewer green pepper the same way. Grill tofu and pepper skewers for 3 minutes per side.
- Spread one side of green pepper with white miso topping and sprinkle with choice of garnish. Spread tofu with red miso topping and sprinkle with choice of garnish. Return skewers to grill, miso-topped side down, and grill for 1 to 2 minutes, until heated through. Skewers can also be made with choice of other vegetables, meat or fish, such as eggplant, large mushrooms,