the joy and versatility of miso sauce

to have miso sauce on hand is a wonderful thing. so versatile. you can make a salad dressing, a steak sauce, a dipping sauce, a marinade, so many things. it keeps for about two weeks in a glass container. i made a steak salad, pictured above, and also umpteen salad dressings, i tossed freshly cooked still-crisp broccoli with it for an exciting side dish, made a dip for crudite, and a dipping sauce for roast chicken.

miso sauce

1 cup miso (miso basically comes in red or white and all gradients in between, you want a lighter color but a mix is good too)

1/4 cup sake

1/4 cup mirin

1/4 cup agave nectar

1 TBSP soy sauce

1 TBSP lemon juice

place the sake and mirin in a small saucepan, bring to a boil and simmer for a few minutes. next add in the miso, agave nectar, and soy sauce. cook on a simmer for 8 to 10 minutes to combine the flavors, stir to prevent burning. add in the lemon juice and turn off the heat. continue to stir and let rest on stove until the flavors have melded. allow to cool completely.

thin it with some rice vinegar, yuzu vinegar or seasoned rice vinegar for a salad dressing. thin it with some tsuyu sauce or dashi for a steak sauce. use as a soup base for miso soup by adding lots of dashi. stir in some sesame paste for a healthful vegetable dip, mix it in a blender with some silken tofu for another great dressing. marinate some meat or fish (careful to wipe most of the miso off the meat before cooking as it can burn if cooked at high heat). many wonderful possibilities. a great ingredient to play with.

store in a glass container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks and enjoy your new found miso creativity.