Flashback Friday - Miso Caramel

This post originally appeared on Minxeats.com on March 6, 2012.
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During a recent episode of Chopped, the competitors' dessert baskets included a tub of white miso. Both chefs made some sort of miso caramel sauce, which was also the first thing that came to my mind. Why? Well, salted caramel has been the Big Thing for quite a while now, and miso is definitely salty. Why not take a very basic caramel recipe and substitute miso for butter?  I tried it, and it worked like a charm. The sauce was sweet and salty, but didn't taste miso-y in the least.

For those of you afraid of making caramel for some reason, don't be! Homemade caramel is easy-peasy, but you do have to keep a couple things in mind.

1) Once the sugar is melted and bubbling, DO NOT STIR. It'll do its thing all on its own.
2) PAY ATTENTION. Don't make a phone call, read the paper, or do anything other than stand near the stove, keeping an eye on the pot.
2) Melted sugar is HOT. Be careful not to get any on yourself.

Miso Caramel Sauce

3/4 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons yellow or white miso

In a heavy saucepan set over medium-high heat, stir together sugar and water. Without additional stirring, bring mixture to a boil. Use a wet pastry brush to wash down any sugar crystals that form on the sides of the pan. When sugar becomes a deep golden brown and wisps of smoke just start to form, remove pan from heat.

Check out the photo below...see how the edges are getting dark but the center sugar is still light in color? It's going to start smoking any second now, so be prepared to take it off the heat before the caramel burns.

Once off the heat, carefully pour in the cream, which will cause the caramel to bubble. Stir to combine. If the caramel seizes up and hardens with the addition of the cold cream, then put the pan back over low heat and stir until the caramel is liquid again. Whisk in the miso. Allow to cool slightly before pouring into a lidded container. Store in the refrigerator.

Remelt the sauce by putting some in a ramekin and microwaving it on high for 30 second intervals until hot and liquid-y. Serve over ice cream, pound cake, or just eat it cold out of the jar with a spoon. Makes one pint.

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Posted on Minxeats.com.

Flashback Friday - Tomato Salad with Spicy Miso Dressing

This post originally appeared on Minxeats.com on August 9, 2013.

After a week of restaurant food (literally, we ate at home only one night), we just wanted something simple for dinner. Macaroni and cheese seemed like the answer. And since our little raised-bed garden is churning out tomatoes like there's no tomorrow--just the way I like it!--we had a tomato salad on the side. The miso dressing was inspired by the spicy miso paste that accompanied a plate of assorted skewered tidbits at PABU, so one of those restaurant meals did end up following us home.

That ended up being a good thing. Miso and sriracha work really well with tomatoes.

Tomato Salad with Spicy Miso Dressing

1 tablespoon red miso
2 teaspoons Sriracha
2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
1 teaspoon agave syrup
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon chopped chives
3-4 ripe tomatoes
extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper

Mix the miso, Sriracha, vinegar, honey, onion powder, and chives together in a small bowl. Taste for seasoning and adjust spice level, sweetness, and tang to your liking.

Cut the tomatoes into wedges, and the wedges into thirds. Place in a bowl with a drizzle of olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Add the dressing and toss gently to coat. Allow to sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes to allow flavors to develop.

Garnish with more chives, if desired.



Posted on Minxeats.com.

Sriracha Barbecue Sauce

A couple months back, Mr Minx and I had a scrumptious meal at PABU, in Harbor East. We basically ate the special Satori prix fixe menu, with an added sashimi course. One of the non-fish courses consisted of two crisp, red chili-glazed chicken wings, and one Berkshire pork baby back rib with a not-too-sweet chili garlic sauce. The rib was tender and juicy, and the sauce added just enough heat and messiness.

When an opportunity to make baby back ribs presented itself, I attempted my own version of the barbecue sauce from PABU. It would be great on chicken and brisket as well as pork.

Sriracha Barbecue Sauce

3 T brown sugar
2 T Sriracha (or more, to taste)
3 T white miso
1 T soy sauce
2 T rice wine vinegar
1 T tomato paste
1 large clove garlic, minced
3 cloves black garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 cup pork or chicken stock
1 T toasted sesame oil

Combine first nine ingredients in a sauce pot over medium heat and stir with until the sugar is melted and the miso and tomato paste have been amalgamated into the mix. Stir in the chicken stock and cook until the mixture thickens into a barbecue sauce consistency, about five minutes. Remove from heat, stir in sesame oil, and allow to cool.

When cool, transfer sauce to a squeeze bottle. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Makes about 1 cup.



Posted on Minxeats.com.

Tomato Salad with Spicy Miso Dressing

After a week of restaurant food (literally, we ate at home only one night), we just wanted something simple for dinner. Macaroni and cheese seemed like the answer. And since our little raised-bed garden is churning out tomatoes like there's no tomorrow - just the way I like it! - we had a tomato salad on the side. The miso dressing was inspired by the spicy miso paste that accompanied a plate of assorted skewered tidbits at PABU, so one of those restaurant meals did end up following us home.

That ended up being a good thing. Miso and sriracha works really well with tomatoes.

Tomato Salad with Spicy Miso Dressing

1 tablespoon red miso
2 teaspoons Sriracha
2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
1 teaspoon agave syrup or honey
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon chopped chives
3-4 ripe tomatoes
extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper

Mix the miso, Sriracha, vinegar, agave or  honey, onion powder, and chives together in a small bowl. Taste for seasoning and adjust spice level, sweetness, and tang to your liking.

Cut the tomatoes into wedges, and the wedges into thirds. Place in a bowl with a drizzle of olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Add the dressing and toss gently to coat. Allow to sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes to allow flavors to develop.

Garnish with more chives, if desired.



Posted on Minxeats.com.

Vote for Me on Food 52!

My recipe for miso caramel is one of two finalists in Food 52's best soy recipe contest! Please vote for me! http://www.food52.com/contests/309_your_best_soy

Posted on Minxeats.com.

Miso Caramel

During a recent episode of Chopped, the competitors' dessert baskets included a tub of white miso. Both chefs made some sort of miso caramel sauce, which was also the first thing that came to my mind. Why? Well, salted caramel has been the Big Thing for quite a while now, and miso is definitely salty. Why not take a very basic caramel recipe and substitute miso for butter?  I tried it, and it worked like a charm. The sauce was sweet and salty, but didn't taste miso-y in the least.

For those of you afraid of making caramel for some reason, don't be! Homemade caramel is easy-peasy, but you do have to keep a couple things in mind.

1) Once the sugar is melted and bubbling, DO NOT STIR. It'll do its thing all on its own.
2) PAY ATTENTION. Don't make a phone call, read the paper, or do anything other than stand near the stove, keeping an eye on the pot.
2) Melted sugar is HOT. Be careful not to get any on yourself.

Miso Caramel Sauce

3/4 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons yellow or white miso

In a heavy saucepan set over medium-high heat, stir together sugar and water. Without additional stirring, bring mixture to a boil. Use a wet pastry brush to wash down any sugar crystals that form on the sides of the pan. When sugar becomes a deep golden brown and wisps of smoke just start to form, remove pan from heat.

Check out the photo below...see how the edges are getting dark but the center sugar is still light in color? It's going to start smoking any second now, so be prepared to take it off the heat before the caramel burns.

Once off the heat, carefully pour in the cream, which will cause the caramel to bubble. Stir to combine. If the caramel seizes up and hardens with the addition of the cold cream, then put the pan back over low heat and stir until the caramel is liquid again. Whisk in the miso. Allow to cool slightly before pouring into a lidded container. Store in the refrigerator.

Remelt the sauce by putting some in a ramekin and microwaving it on high for 30 second intervals until hot and liquid-y. Serve over ice cream, pound cake, or just eat it cold out of the jar with a spoon. Makes one pint.

Posted on Minxeats.com.

Sakura

We found ourselves in Hunt Valley a few days before Christmas and decided to pop into Sakura for a bit of dinner before heading to a movie. When I was a kid, it was always a big thrill to have dinner at Nichi Bei Kai. Like Sakura, NBK was a teppanyaki joint, where Japanese chefs showed off their shrimp-tossing and knife skills.

While I'm not a kid anymore, I still sorta enjoy the spectacle of the thing. But the food is paramount.

Mr Minx and I both ordered the steak and chicken combination, which came with a choice of appetizer (chicken livers, mushrooms, or shrimp), soup, salad, and beverage for $19.95. The soup came first, a water-clear broth with wafer-thin slices of mushroom. The broth was so watery, I'm surprised it had any flavor at all, but somehow it was vaguely miso-y. The salad was better; although mostly iceberg with a single slice of tomato, it was topped with that typical, sprightly, ginger-packed, Japanese steakhouse dressing that I really enjoy.

My chicken livers were more than a bit overcooked; they sat under a bowl on the teppan while our chef sliced and diced mushrooms and shrimp for the other diners at our table. However, they tasted pretty good when swiped through either the gingery soy or sweet mayonnaise-based dipping sauces provided to each diner.

As the cooking progressed, we received our chicken breast meat and then our steak before a pile of vegetables was tossed on top of everything. Both the proteins were a bit overcooked, but tasted pretty good anyway.

While the magic of flying shrimp and onion volcanoes is lost on me as an adult, we got a decent amount of food for $20, and it was all fresh and tasty. I'd do it again.

Sakura
118 Shawan Road
Hunt Valley, MD 21030
(410) 527-0770



Posted by theminx on Minxeats.com.