What the heck is miso, and what do I do with it? | Sweet Basil and the Bee

Salty, earthy, funky, is how Sarah Jampel for “Bon Appetit” describes miso, the fermented, versatile ingredient that she puts in everything from pasta salad to apple pie for a mega flavor-boost.

Miso is a fermented soybean paste made by combining three simple ingredients – soybeans, salt and koji, (a type of fungus – Aspergillus oryzae – cultivated on rice and other grains) – and allowing the mixture to age for months or even years. As Zoe Denenberg explains, the type of koji used and the length of time the mixture is fermented results in infinite varieties of miso. Over 1300 variations of the umami-rich paste are in use today.

The two major groups of miso are shiro, (white) and aka (red). White miso, also called sweet miso, is light in color with a high ratio of koji to soybeans and a shorter fermentation time. Jampel describes it as mellow and refreshing, you can eat it by the spoonful. Red or dark miso has a longer fermentation time, higher salt content, and a higher ratio of soybeans to koji resulting in a saltier, earthier and more intense miso with “a pungency that’ll hit you right in the sinuses”.

If, like me, you’re new to miso, Chris Morocco, senior food editor for Bon Appetit suggests starting with white miso – it’s milder and more versatile – can be used for both sweet and savory dishes. When shopping for miso look for minimal ingredients: soybeans, rice or barley, salt and sometimes alcohol used as a preservative. Morocco recommends Miso Master Brand, from North Carolina or South River Miso from Massachusetts. Japanese markets have much more selection.

So what do you do with it? Why use it? Denenberg for Epicurious mentions miso-marinated salmon, a natural combination, miso soup, a mainstay of Japanese breakfast that may combine both red and white miso for simultaneous sweetness and depth of flavor but urges branching out to discover how umami-rich miso boosts the flavor of everything it touches – “saucy, cheesy noodles, sticky-sweet vegetable stir-fries, even. floral fruity miso ice cream. Coat potatoes in red miso-butter, swirl a batch of ramen noodles in miso broth, add miso to mayonnaise or ranch dressing, explore miso desserts like miso-maple walnuts to sprinkle over ice cream, chocolate miso bread pudding. Heck, rub it on your Thanksgiving turkey!”

Store miso in the refrigerator or freezer in an airtight container indefinitely while you figure out all the cool things to do with it. For openers, mix a little into butter and use it to season green beans, rub on corn, smear on garlic bread, or as Christopher Kimball suggests melt it over rice, dollop on broiled salmon or seared steak, or as a sauce for pasta – be prepared to use this on everything! To get you started, here are 3 modest recipes to get your bearings on miso and what it can do for your pantry.

Spring Mix Salad with Sweet Miso Dressing

This Spring Mix Salad with Sweet Miso Dressing is bright and refreshing. The savory and tangy dressing enhances the flavor of the creamy avocado, cherry tomatoes, sliced radishes, and fresh mint leaves. Recipe from Nami for Just One Cookbook, a Japanese home cook based in San Francisco.

Ingredients

2 cups spring mix salad

1 avocado (sliced)

1 red radish (sliced)

3 cherry tomatoes (sliced)

4 mint leaves (hand-torn)

1–2 radish sprouts (discard the bottom; optional)

For the Sweet Miso Dressing:

2 Tablespoons white Miso + 2 tsp mirin or honey

2 Tablespoons rice vinegar (unseasoned)

1 Tablespoons toasted sesame oil

Instructions: In a small mixing bowl, combine the dressing ingredients: 2 Tablespoons miso and 2 teaspoons miren or honey, 2 Tabldspoons rice vinegar (unseasoned), 1 Tablespoon toasted sesame oil, and whisk it all together.

Rinse 2 cups spring mix salad and dry completely. Toss the salad, 1 avocado (sliced), 1 red radish (sliced), 3 cherry tomatoes (sliced), 4 mint leaves (hand-torn), and 1–2 radish sprouts (optional) in a large bowl.

Drizzle the dressing into the bowl and toss gently. Serve immediately.

Our first impression was “this tastes really fresh!”

Miso Ginger Pork

With umami-rich miso, savory soy sauce, spicy ginger, and a hint of sweet mirin, Miso Ginger Pork is a perfect mix of delicious Japanese flavors. Serve with steamed rice to enjoy this big flavor pork dish. Recipe by Nami for Just One Cookbook.

Ingredients

½ pound thinly sliced pork loin

1 Tablespoon neutral oil

For the marinade:

2 inches ginger (grated; separate the juice from the grated ginger)

1 Tablespoon sake

½ Tablespoon soy sauce

For the Seasonings

1 Tablespoon soy sauce

1 Tablespoon sake

1 Tablespoon mirin

1 Tablespoon white miso

1 teaspoon sugar

To Serve (optional)

¼ head green cabbage (shredded)

¼ Japanese or Persian cucumber (sliced)

6 cherry tomatoes

Instructions: The trick here is getting the pork sliced really thin. The best idea is to freeze it for an hour or two so it’s easier to slice. There’s a good instructional video on You Tube: Just One Cookbook – Slice Meat Thinly.

Gather all the ingredients: Grate 2 inches ginger. Squeeze out the ginger juice and add it to a bowl or tray for marinating the pork. Set aside 1 tsp grated ginger for use later. ( I used the grated ginger without squeezing out the juice). To the ginger juice, add 1 Tablespoon sake and ½ Tablespoon soy sauce. Then, add ½ pound thinly sliced pork loin. Flip and coat the pork with the marinade. Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for the seasonings: 1 Tablespoon soy sauce, 1 Tablespoon sake, 1 Tablespoon mirin, 1 Tablespoon miso, and 1 teaspoon sugar. Add 1 teaspoon grated ginger and mix well. Set aside.

Heat 1 Tablespoon neutral oil in a large frying pan over medium to medium-high heat. Add and sear the meat in a single layer. To give a nice, even sear, it’s best not to touch or move the meat around.  Flip the meat and cook the other side until it is no longer pink. Then, add the seasonings.

Coat the meat with the sauce using a spoon and flip once to make sure the meat is seasoned on both sides. Serve immediately. If you‘d like, shred ¼ head green cabbage and slice ¼ Japanese or Persian cucumber, and divide, along with 6 cherry tomatoes, onto individual plates of Miso Ginger Pork.

Ramen Noodles with Miso Pesto

Springy ramen noodles and a cilantro-miso sauce bring a welcome twist to a classic pesto recipe by Andy Baraghani.

Ingredients for 2 servings
4 cups baby spinach

2 cups cilantro leaves with tender stems

1 Tablespoon white miso

1 garlic clove

½ cup grapeseed or sunflower oil

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Kosher salt

2 5-ounce packages fresh ramen noodles or dry, if you can’t find fresh

1 Tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Toasted sesame seeds (for serving)

Preparation: Bring a medium pot of water to a boil.

Meanwhile, purée spinach, cilantro, miso, garlic, grapeseed oil, sesame oil, and lemon juice in a blender until mixture is smooth and very green. Season with salt and pour pesto into a medium bowl.

Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain and add to bowl with pesto. Add butter and toss until butter is melted and noodles are coated in sauce.
Divide noodles between bowls and top with sesame seeds.
Do Ahead: Pesto can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Color might darken slightly.

And if you want to start with salmon, this recipe from Joe Duff is simple and supposed to replicate the Cheesecake Factory Miso Salmon.

Cheesecake Factory Miso Salmon Recipe

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons red miso paste

2 Tablespoons brown sugar

2 Tablespoons soy sauce

1 Tablespoon white rice vinegar (unseasoned)

2 4-ounce salmon fillets, deboned and skinned

1 cup snow peas, fresh

½ cup dry sake

1 shallot, minced

1 stick of butter, softened

Instructions: For the miso marinade and glaze, combine the miso paste with the brown sugar, rice vinegar and soy sauce in a small mixing bowl. If too thick, add 1-2 tablespoons of warm water.

Coat the salmon fillets with the miso mixture and cover them with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

For the snow peas, boil 2-3 cups of salted water and blanch the peas for 8-10 minutes. Cool down in an ice bath. (This seems too long – maybe 2 minutes, then ice).

Line a baking tray with aluminum foil brushed with olive oil and preheat the oven to 355ºF.

Roast the salmon in the oven for 12-15 minutes or until flaky but still pink inside.

For the sake butter, add the butter and shallots to a pot and cook at medium heat for about 7 minutes. Add the dry sake and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper if needed.

Serve the salmon with the snow peas, and top with the sake butter and chives.

Something ancient but new to play with – I hope you have fun discovering how to use miso paste and that you get that umami flavor boost in all your favorite dishes! Be brave – add a teaspoon of miso to your mac and cheese March-on!