Japanese Tōfu Dengaku Skewered Tofu with Miso Glaze and the Kyoto Street Food Heritage

Ingredients

• 600 g firm momen tofu (cotton-strained), drained and pressed under weight for 20–30 minutes
• For the dengaku miso
• 120 g shiro miso (white miso)
• 30 ml sake
• 30 ml mirin
• 15 g sugar
• 1 egg yolk, added off the heat once paste has cooled
• To finish (seasonal)
• 1 small bunch kinome (young sansho leaves), spring variation; pressed into miso surface immediately before final grilling

Method

1. 1
   Wrap the pressed momen tofu in two or three layers of paper towel and set a weighted board over it. Leave for 20–30 minutes. The tofu is ready when the paper is saturated and the block feels firm and dry to the touch.
2. 2
   Combine the shiro miso, sake, mirin, and sugar in a small saucepan. Set over a low heat and stir continuously until the alcohol has cooked off and the paste thickens to a spreadable, glossy consistency. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Stir in the egg yolk once the paste is no longer hot. The finished dengaku miso should be smooth, cohesive, and hold a ribbon when lifted on a spoon.
3. 3
   Cut the drained tofu into rectangular blocks of even size. Thread each block lengthways onto a flat bamboo skewer so that the skewer runs through the centre and the block sits stable. The skewer should protrude at each end; the tofu should not rotate.
4. 4
   Grill or toast the skewered tofu over moderate heat — a hot grill pan, a conventional grill, or charcoal — until the surface is lightly firmed and shows faint colour. This initial pass removes residual surface moisture and creates a texture that will accept the miso glaze cleanly. The surface should feel dry and slightly resistant to the touch, not soft or wet.
5. 5
   This is where the dish lives or dies. Using a small palette knife or the back of a spoon, apply the dengaku miso in a thin, even layer of 2–3 mm across the entire upper surface of each tofu block. The layer must be uniform: too thick and the miso burns before it caramelises; too thin and the flavour impact is lost. If using kinome, press the leaves gently into the miso surface now, before the final heat.
6. 6
   Return the miso-glazed skewers under a hot grill or over charcoal for 60–90 seconds. Watch without leaving: the sugar content of the dengaku miso means it will pass from caramelised to burnt in moments. The glaze is ready when the surface is fragrant, slightly blistered at the edges, and shows a deepened amber colour with faint scorching at the highest points. The kinome, if used, will release a citrus-herb fragrance that signals the dish is done.