Miso

Miso Cod

Miso is so good, its complex and salty flavour works on many things. In fact, when you cook with miso it tastes as though you’ve spent hours slaving in the kitchen, but this particular recipe takes less than a minute to mix together. Miso is a nutritious fermented soybean paste that’s made by steaming and crushing soybeans, adding sea salt and koji (a grain culture that triggers fermentation) and then aging for three to thirty months. Koji is derived from either rice, wheat, or soybeans, so avoid the wheat one if you’re gluten-free. There are three colours of miso, and it’s the koji that influences the colour, from pale yellow to dark chocolate. The three colours of miso are: white, or sendaimiso; yellow, or shinshumiso; and red, akamiso. Typically, the lighter the miso the more delicate its flavour. I think you probably have miso in your fridge, right?

Makes enough for 6 – 6 oz portions of fish, pork, chicken, or beef

1/4 cup organic miso paste, any colour

3 green onions, minced, white and light green parts only

2″ piece of fresh ginger, grated

2 teaspoons agave nectar

Mix together all ingredients in a small bowl. Smear evenly over each piece of protein. I baked miso cod in a hot oven – 450º – for about 20 minutes, until cooked through. I’ve grilled many miso’d things on my barbecue with great success – small, tender pieces of miso beef on a skewer is exceptionally tasty. Obviously, cooking times will vary depending on what you’re using. Oh, when buying miso paste, seek out organic.