Japanese Dengaku: Skewered and Miso-Glazed Foods

Ingredients

• For the tofu
• 600 g firm or extra-firm momen tofu, pressed dry, cut into 4 even rectangles
• 8 bamboo skewers, soaked in cold water
• For the white dengaku-miso
• 200 g white (shiro) miso
• 60 ml mirin
• 30 ml sake
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 tsp yuzu zest, finely grated; to finish
• For the red dengaku-miso
• 200 g red (aka) miso
• 60 ml mirin
• 30 ml sake
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 tsp fresh ginger juice, squeezed from grated ginger
• For service
• 250 g raw short-grain rice, uncooked, used as a skewer holder in the service vessel

Method

1. 1
   Combine the white miso, mirin, sake, and egg yolks in a small saucepan. Set over the lowest possible heat and stir continuously with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula until the paste thickens and pulls cleanly from the sides of the pan. Remove from the heat. Repeat for the red miso paste. Both pastes should be smooth, glossy, and spreadable — not grainy or loose.
2. 2
   Press the tofu rectangles between clean cloths and weighted boards until no further moisture is released; the surface should feel firm and dry to the finger, not tacky. Thread two parallel bamboo skewers through each piece so the tofu sits securely and flat. Insert the skewers before any miso is applied — inserting into a coated piece tears the surface.
3. 3
   Prepare a charcoal or gas grill at medium heat. Apply the first coat of dengaku-miso to one broad face of each skewered piece, spreading it in an even layer with a palette knife or the back of a spoon. For the classic kinkashi presentation, coat one half of each piece in white miso paste and the other half in red miso paste. Place the pieces miso-side up over medium heat and grill until the first coat is just set and no longer appears wet — it will lose its shine and hold its shape when tilted.
4. 4
   This is where the dish lives or dies: apply the second coat of dengaku-miso over the first, then return the pieces to the grill. Grill at medium heat — not high — watching without interruption as the miso caramelises. The second coat is done when the surface is fragrant, darkened to a rich amber-brown, and shows slight charring at the edges. The high sugar content of sweetened miso burns rapidly; any increase in heat at this stage produces a bitter, acrid glaze rather than a caramelised one.
5. 5
   Remove the skewers from the grill. Grate fresh yuzu zest directly over the white miso half immediately before serving — the volatile citrus fragrance dissipates within moments of grating. Stand the skewers vertically in a bowl or tray packed with raw rice, which holds them upright in the traditional service form.