Celery and Leek Dengaku Miso
Elizabeth Andoh
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These recipes are contributed by author Elizabeth Andoh to accompany PART THREE of Washoku Wisdom.
Strictly speaking, the name dengaku applies to the sticks on which food is skewered (alluding to an ancient ritual dance performed on stilts, during rice planting). But in daily use, the word dengaku refers to the sweet-and-salty miso paste that is spread on food – rice, vegetables and seafood, as well as tōfu.
Dengaku dishes have been a staple in Japanese cookery for hundreds of years. In 1782 “Tōfu Hyaku Chin” (100 Delicacies Made with Bean Curd) was published in Edo (the former name for Tokyo) becoming a bestseller among the literati and merchants there. Although the recipes themselves were neither new nor original, the idea of compiling so many dishes made from tōfu into a single volume was revolutionary at the time. Of the 100 recipes, a dozen of them were dengaku preparations – tōfu slathered with flavored miso pastes before being broiled.
Dengaku miso is as appealing today, as it was then. The flavored miso mixture makes a fabulous dip for crudités, too. I also use dengaku miso as an (unconventional) spread for sandwiches!
Miso dengaku sauce can be assembled in less than 30 minutes and stored for a month or more in the refrigerator. Having miso dengaku sauce on hand is a great way to jump-start meal-making when you’re super busy. Spread on scallops or fish and briefly broiled it makes a great main. Or slather the sauce on blocks of well-drained tofu or thick slices of eggplant or zucchini to transform them into a satisfying plant-based main that vegans, vegetarians, and omnivores alike will love.
Makes about 1 cup of flavored miso
Ingredients
- Green tops from 1 naga negi (Japanese-style leek) OR leek, about 3 ounces
- Leaves from 4 or more ribs of celery (ribs can be stuffed with finished miso and served as an appetizer)
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2 teaspoons Wadaman Dark Roasted Golden Sesame Oil
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2/3 cup red miso (Rokko Ashiya Sodachi or Horikawaya Nomura or a combination of both)
- 2 tablespoons sake
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 3-4 tablespoons dashi or water
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1 loaf yaki-dōfu (grilled or broiled tōfu), about 400 grams/ 12 ounces, well drained OR…
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1 loaf atsu age-dōfu (thick fried tōfu), about 400 grams/ 12 ounces, oil blotted away
If using to make Tōfu Dengaku (Broiled Tōfu with Dengaku Miso) - See Recipe at the Bottom of this Page
Directions
- Slice the leek in quarters lengthwise; stack, and cut across to finely mince (you should have a generous 1/2 cup).
Place in a strainer and rinse briefly in cold water to be sure that no dirt is trapped among the pieces. Drain well and pat dry with paper towels.
- Chop the celery leaves finely (you should have about 1/2 cup).
- Heat the sesame oil in a non-stick skillet.
Sauté the leeks and celery leaves over medium heat until translucent and aromatic. Add the miso, saké, and sugar. Stir to thoroughly combine; cook 2 minutes until glossy and bubbly.
- Add the stock and continue to cook, stirring and scraping down the sides with a wooden spoon or paddle, until the sauce is thick like tomato paste, about 2 more minutes.
- Let the miso cool in the skillet.
Storage
If you are not using right away, transfer to a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid and refrigerate for up to 6 weeks.
Recipe Note
Tōfu Dengaku (Broiled Tōfu with Dengaku Miso)
豆腐田楽
- 1 loaf yaki-dōfu (grilled or broiled tōfu), about 400 grams/ 12 ounces, well drained OR
- 1 loaf atsu age-dōfu (thick fried tōfu), about 400 grams/ 12 ounces, oil blotted away
The “old-fashioned” way of draining tōfu was to wrap the loaf in sarashi cloth and sandwich it between two flat plates or small cutting boards that were set at an angle in a large container to drain. About an hour later, the boards or plates were flipped over to encourage even drainage and left for another hour or so. Throughout most of the year, this was done at cool room temperature, and it was easy to find such a spot, since homes had no source of central heating. This draining method still yields the most flavorful, and best textured results, but is not practical in most modern kitchens.
Instead, you may prefer to pour off the liquid from the package of tōfu and wrap it loosely in plain paper towels before placing it on a microwave-safe dish. ‘Zap’ the tōfu for 1 minute on a high setting. There will be a fair amount of milky liquid exuded. Carefully pour off whatever liquid is not absorbed by the paper towel.
Cut the tōfu in half through the middle, horizontally. Carefully flip the top piece over to expose the inner, un-grilled or fried surface (left). With the tip of a sharp knife, slice each of these halves in half again to make 4 pieces.
Transfer tōfu pieces grilled surface down to a foil-lined rack that will fit under your broiler or toaster oven. Heat the tōfu on the lowest possible setting for about 2 minutes. The surface will dry and ‘crust’ ever so slightly; excess liquid will drain out. If liquid is forming a puddle, carefully pull the rack out of the broiler and blot away.
With a butter knife or small spatula, spread the miso sauce on the top (un-grilled) surface of each of the tōfu pieces. Return the tōfu to the broiler or toaster-oven and cook for 1-2 minutes until the bean paste is bubbly, aromatic, and slightly crusted. Remove thetōfu from the rack with a flat spatula.
If you want to serve the tofu on skewers, true to the Japanese name “dengaku,” use 2 round wooden toothpicks if you can’t find the special, double-pronged, bamboo skewers known as dengaku kushi. Since the wood burns easily when placed under a broiler, I recommend that you insert the skewers as you remove them from the foil-lined rack to serve. Serve hot or at room temperature.