Two Must-Try Miso Dressings

Learn how to make versatile and super tasty miso dressing and sesame miso dressing from Chef Hiroki Abe at the En Japanese Brasserie workshop. These dressings can be used for salads, as marinades for grilled meats and veggies, and as dipping sauce for shabu shabu. The article includes the ingredients and steps to prepare these delicious dressings for Japanese cuisine enthusiasts.

Man, was Chef Hiroki Abe on a roll at Sunday's miso workshop at En Japanese Brasserie! Here are two of his versatile, super tasty miso dressings -- miso dressing and sesame miso dressing. Toss them with leafy greens, drizzle over tomato wedges, brush on grilled steaks, chicken, pork, fish or veggies. Also, use the sesame miso dressing as the perfect dipping sauce for shabu shabu (see p. 117 of my "Japanese Hot Pots"). Once you prepare these dressings, too, you can keep them handy in the fridge for weeks. Both dressings follow the same steps to prepare: Whisk together the miso with the dry ingredients; gradually whisk in the liquids to create a smooth sauce; and finally drip in the roasted sesame or olive oil while whisking to emulsify and complete the sauce. Here are the ingredients, in metric, Abe-san style:

Miso dressing: 100 grams shiro miso (savory white miso); 2 grams Japanese karashi mustard; 80 grams sugar; 20 cc lemon juice; 20 cc dashi; 20 cc soy sauce; 50 cc olive oil.

Sesame miso dressing: 100 grams inaka miso ("countryside style" red miso, or any savory red miso); 20 grams ground sesame seeds; 60 grams sugar; 30 cc soy sauce; 20 cc sake; 20 cc dashi; 20 cc sesame oil.