TIPical Mary Ellen host Mary Ellen Pinkham explains how to shop for and use miso* in recipes.
- Miso is a fermented soybean paste made from soybeans, barley, rice, salt and a fermenting agent.
- There are different types of miso--salty, sweet, white and red. Choose the one that best compliments your other ingredients. For example, red miso should be used with shellfish, mushrooms and strongly flavored vegetables.
- Marinate salmon with miso. Line a baking pan with plastic wrap and place two salmon fillets on the plastic wrap. Mix together 500 grams of miso and two tablespoons sake or white wine. Spread this over the salmon and cover. Chill for 24 hours. Scrape off miso before cooking.
- Awase miso, which means a combination of several types of miso, can be used with tofu and any combination of vegetables.
- Overcooking miso causes flavor loss, so be sure not to overcook it. Heat just until water is about to boil.
- To make miso soup, you will need three quarts of water, seven grams of seaweed, one package of miso, one package of fish flakes and any vegetables you desire. Soak the seaweed in warm water, removing any stems that remain hard, then rinsing in clean water. Strain and cut into medium-size pieces. Add everything to the boiling water and let it simmer until you have your cooked the veggies to their desired tenderness.
* miso--a thick fermented paste made by grinding together cooked soybeans, rice or barley, and salt and used especially in making soups and sauces
