Tofu Dengaku - Recipe
These broiled tofu skewers are a street food in Japan, grilled over wickedly hot charcoal. You can create a similar effect using your broiler. If you do it this way, it is still fun to add the skewers afterwards so diners can pick them up to eat. Of course if you have a grill going, go ahead and use it for the smoky flavor, just oil the tofu well so it doesn’t stick, and put in the skewers first.
Be sure to use the firmest tofu you can find and work hard to dry the surface, otherwise it will keep leaching out water and refuse to brown properly.
If you are mainly familiar with miso in soup form, it might be a little bit of a surprise to experience the almost chocolaty intensity it packs when eaten practically straight.
Tofu Dengaku
Vegan / Yields 12 pieces / 15 minutes
- 2 tablespoons red miso
- 1 tablespoon mirin
- 1 tablespoon sake or dry sherry
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 block (14-16 ounces) extra firm tofu
- vegetable oil for brushing
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
- special equipment: 24 short wooden skewers (optional)
- Preheat your broiler and place a rack at the top of the oven.
- Whisk together the miso, mirin, sake, and sugar.
- Wrap the tofu in a dish towel for a moment to remove excess water from the outside. Cut into 6 slabs (about ¾” thick), then cut each slab in half to produce approximately a 1 ½” square. Lay all the pieces out next to each other and pat firmly with a towel to dry the flat surfaces, then flip and pat again.
- Place the tofu on a baking sheet and brush one side with oil. Broil until well browned, about 5 minutes. Flip and broil until the other side is browned, about 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and brush each piece of tofu with 1 teaspoon of the sauce. Return to the broiler until the sauce is bubbling, about 1 minute.
- If using the skewers, insert two into each piece.
- Sprinkle on the sesame seeds and serve immediately.
