Dengaku — tofu, eggplant, konnyaku, or fish skewered and grilled with a sweet miso glaze — achieves the characteristic blister and caramelisation on the miso's surface through direct heat application. The dengaku miso (a mixture of miso, sugar, mirin, and sake, cooked to a thick, glossy paste) must be applied while the ingredient is already hot, then returned to heat briefly to caramelise the miso's sugars.
- **The dengaku miso:** White or red miso + sugar + mirin + sake — cooked in a small pot over low heat until thick and glossy. The cooking removes the alcohol and partially caramelises the miso's natural sugars. [VERIFY] Tsuji's dengaku miso recipe. - **The application:** The miso is applied with a knife or spatula to the grilled/broiled ingredient while it is hot — the heat of the ingredient slightly loosens the miso and helps it adhere. - **The caramelisation pass:** The miso-coated ingredient is returned to direct heat for 30–60 seconds — just long enough for the miso's sugars to begin to caramelise and the surface to develop the characteristic dark, blistered spots. - **The colour target:** The dengaku miso surface should show irregular, slightly darker spots where the sugars have caramelised — not uniform browning, but the specific spotted pattern of a broiled miso glaze.
Tsuji