Meals with miso

Miso is a fundamental flavouring in Japanese cooking. Brought from China during the Asuka Period (550-710), miso has developed a unique tradition in Japan. Used in various Japanese dishes including miso soup and dengaku (grilled tofu coated in miso), in Australia the use of miso in cooking is still unfamiliar to many. Recently, miso has become known as both a preservative and a health food, but it may be an acquired taste for some.
Miso complements many foods from vegetables to fish as well as meat and even dairy. The nutritional benefits of miso include anti-aging vitamin E and daidzein and high-quality soy protein, which speeds up digestion and restores internal balance. Miso is also thought to prevent cancer and liver malfunction as well as being a good hangover cure!
Here, jstyle features a simple recipe using miso stock, commonly found in many Japanese households. Like miso soup, a simple change of ingredients offers endless variety.

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What is miso?
Miso is created by adding salt and yeast to steamed soybeans and letting it ferment and ripen. Varying the salt content and duration of the ripening process creates different types of either white or red miso, while rice, barley and bean miso varieties are made depending on the yeast used.

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RECIPE:Vegetables With Garlic-scented Miso Sauce

Ingredients:
1. tomato
2. baby carrots, broccolini, cauliflower,
red capsicum, sugar snaps, snow peas
3. eggplant, zucchini
4. daikon radish, turnip
king prawn
calamari
extra virgin olive oil
sea salt
black pepper
white pepper
greek basil

Garlic-scented miso sauce:
200g white miso
200ml mirin
40g sugar
50-60ml soy sauce (depends on saltiness of miso)
100g white onion
20g garlic
pinch of chilli powder

1. Cut the vegetables to preferred size. It is better to cut them in relatively big pieces so the flavour of each vegetable can be tasted.
2. Cook the vegetables in the following way according to the number beside them.
* 1. Grill or cook in a frying pan so the surface is roasted.
* 2. Add salt to boiling water and cook vegetables until they are slightly chewy. (If you are eating straight away the vegetables can be left warm but to maintain colour and texture over time, put in cold or ice water.)
* 3. Heat oil to 170 degrees and deep-fry until they are slightly coloured.
* 4. Fill a pot with water and add a handful of uncooked rice and the vegetables (peeled) and cook through. Be careful not to let water boil. When a chopstick passes through the vegetables easily, cool under running water.
Once vegetables are cooked, lightly dress with a little olive oil, salt, black and white pepper to your taste.
3. Cook the prawns and calamari like the vegetables marked Ô2Õ and season with olive oil, salt and black pepper.
4. Make the garlic-scented miso sauce. Put the ingredients in a food processor and mix until onion and garlic pieces are no longer visible. Transfer the mixture into a pot and cook over medium heat until the spiciness of the onion and garlic disappear.
5. Carefully arrange the vegetables from steps 2 and 3 on a plate. Sprinkle some Greek basil and pour the sauce over them.

Note:
a. Remember to add a little oil or salt as seasoning before serving the vegetables. It will greatly enhance the flavour and improve the compatibility of the sauce.
b. It is often said that you can achieve a natural nutritional balance by ensuring you have five colours on your plate. Regardless, having many colours makes the dish all the more appetising.

Chef's tips:
* Miso complements any type of vegetable so use whatever is available in your home. Thinking about the overall balance and colouring will make the dish both attractive and appetising, even for children who donÕt like vegetables!
* Prepare vegetables suitably, and make sure you add some seasoning, even just a little olive oil. The small effort will vasty improve the overall flavour.
* Cook the sauce thoroughly before letting it cool. Heating not only draws the flavour from the onions in the sauce, but will preserve it for longer.

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