Tofu Dengaku with Rice and Broccoli

Miso at the Right Moment

Dengaku is a Japanese cooking method in which ingredients are coated with a sweet-and-savory miso glaze. Tofu is a well-known choice, but other ingredients can be prepared this way too. This dish is all about the contrast between firm tofu with browned edges and a sticky sauce made with miso, mirin, sake and sugar. The miso brings saltiness and deep umami, while the mirin and sugar balance it with a gentle sweetness. Rice provides a mild counterpoint and soaks up a little of the sauce.

Firm tofu works better here than soft tofu: the slices hold together when you turn them and develop a golden-brown surface in the pan. Pat the tofu thoroughly dry with paper towels before adding it to the pan. This helps it brown and prevents excess moisture from escaping into the pan. Fry the slices without the sauce first. Miso is already salty and can darken quickly over high heat, so brush it onto the tofu only once it has browned, then let the sauce caramelize briefly. A few minutes under the broiler works well; keep an eye on the tofu.

White miso makes a milder, often slightly sweeter sauce. Awasemiso, a blend of light and dark miso, gives it a stronger, saltier flavor. If you’re using only dark miso, taste the sauce before adding extra sugar: the salty flavor may be more pronounced. Mirin and sake give the glaze a smooth texture and rounded flavor. If you don’t have sake, you can leave it out and use a tablespoon of water instead; the sauce will be a little less complex. Simmer it gently until it’s thick enough to cling to the tofu.

Broccoli works well alongside the tofu because its fresh, green flavor balances the rich miso sauce. Steam or boil the florets briefly so they’re tender but still have a little bite. You can also replace them with green beans or bok choy, for example; adjust the cooking time to suit the vegetable. Serve the tofu and vegetables with freshly cooked rice so each component keeps its own texture. If you like, spoon any remaining sauce over the tofu, not over the whole bowl of rice, so the rice doesn’t turn soggy. Refrigerate leftovers within two hours and store them covered in the refrigerator; reheat the tofu and vegetables thoroughly, and preferably only reheat the rice if it was cooled quickly and kept refrigerated.