me so miso

You may love miso, but every time you pass by that mysterious brown block in a Japanese grocery store, you can’t think of enough dishes to use up that much of it, since most recipes call for small amount. You don’t want it to go bad sitting in the back of refrigeration. What to do?

The answer is to make Den Miso, a marinate for seafood, fish, poultry, vegetables, and more. This concoction uses 1.5 cups of cooked white miso and the final product will keep in your refrigerator for a long time. Think of it as a homemade marinade that is tastier than any bottle stuff.

I marinate fish with this recipe.  Not only does it provide a great depth of flavor, the fish can stay in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

*For a miso primer, Justhungry has it all spelled out for you.

DEN MISO

Makes about 2½ cups

1½ cups white miso
¾ cup sugar
¾ cup sake
¾ cup mirin

Combine miso and sugar in the top of a double boiler. Add sake and mirin, and whisk to combine using a heavy whisk. Cook over boiling water, stirring frequently until the sugar is dissolved and the color begins to darken, 30 to 45 minutes. Remove from heat, and cool. Store in airtight container in refrigerator for up to 2 months.

DEN MISO MARINATED FISH

Serves 6 to 8

2 pounds black cod or salmon fillets, skin on

2 cups den miso

Cut fish into eight 4-ounce pieces. Place fish in one layer in a shallow dish. Pour 2 cups den miso over fish, turning to coat well. Cover with plastic wrap, and marinate in refrigerator 2 to 3 days, turning once a day.

Heat broiler to high. Remove fish from marinade, and place on a baking sheet skin-side down. Broil until caramelized, 2 to 3 minutes. With a flat spatula, turn fish and broil for another 2 to 3 minutes more. Serve immediately.