Two more ways with miso

Only three more weekends until school starts.  I know I always say it but this really is one quick-flying summer!  I'm taking it easy and making a point to savor some lazy days of summer.  Before we know it, some of us will be back in the throws of back-to-school nights and juggling homework and schedules again.

So while I'm "busy" chilling, I thought I'd share a couple of recipes I tried recently that have been both easy and delicious.  Remember my recent foray into using miso?  Besides the noodles, I used my container of miso paste to make two other tasty dishes.  

Miso-glazed broiled salmon

First up, miso-glazed broiled salmon.  I'd spotted a recipe in the July/August 2014 Food Network magazine for "asian salmon rolls", which was actually a sandwich with a wasabi dressing and greens.  I abandoned the sandwich idea but the simple miso-based marinade for the salmon interested me since I did have that container of miso paste from Trader Joe's in my fridge.  Also, my son loves salmon so I'm constantly roasting it one way or another and could use new ways to serve it.

I adapted the recipe a little bit and it turned out great, something I've made a couple of times already and will continue to as part of my salmon-cooking rotation.  Miso paste, mirin, and bit of brown sugar in the glaze makes for a nice, subtle, salty-sweetness that's very tasty on the salmon. I discovered that I really like broiling salmon...it makes for a leaner, less-fatty, end result.

Oven-broiled garlic-miso chicken wings

Secondly, my family and I enjoyed garlic miso chicken wings.  I have been eyeing the recipe for a while, one of many dishes I've discovered from Just One Cookbook, a wonderful site for easy Japanese recipes.

These wings are marinated with plenty of minced garlic, miso, soy sauce and mirin.  Those 4 ingredients make for an incredibly flavorful coating on the chicken.  You broil the wings using the broiler plate that comes with your oven (the first time I put that thing to use and it worked wonderfully!) and the result is some crispy wings that are super moist and juicy on the inside and packed with flavor.  What more could you ask for.


Miso-glazed salmon

I took the original recipe (it's this one) and scaled down the amount of marinade I make for about a pound of salmon.  Maybe there's no such thing as too much marinade but I hate to waste and like making do with less when it works.

This recipe called for white miso paste, which is the milder and sweeter type of miso relative to red and "awase", which is a mix of the red and white.  I used Trader Joe's "mild yellow" miso for this as well as the chicken recipe below and I think it works very well.  This recipe also used skinless salmon but mine always comes with the skin on.  I simply coat both sides of the filets with the glaze and I broil the salmon until it's done without flipping it.  It's done in about 8 minutes or so.  Let the salmon cool a minute or two so you can handle it, and right before plating, I remove the skin.  

Garlic-miso chicken wings

If you want to make these wings (and I hope you do), please check out the original recipe on Just One Cookbook for the detailed recipe, with pictures that are very helpful.  Again, I'm using a "mild yellow" miso, which I think is a good equivalent for the "awase", or mix of red and white mixo, that's recommended for in this recipe.  

I love dishes with lots of garlic so this is really up my alley.  And these wings, with this garlic-miso paste, packs a punch of flavor versus the more subtle glaze on the salmon dish.  There is just a ton of umami flavor in these wings!  

I didn't really plan ahead (I'm "chilling", you see...) so I started these wings after lunch and only marinated them for a few hours.  I also made a rookie mistake of not reading the recipe carefully first and didn't realize that the soy sauce and mirin portion of the marinade should only go in about 3 hours before cooking.  Luckily, I wasn't marinating the chicken for much more than that so it was fine and the results were full of flavor.

I'm really glad both these miso recipes put the broiler to use.  For the wings, it really crisped up the skin while leaving the interior juicy and succulent.  My family and I really enjoyed these for dinner!


Recipes:

Miso-glazed Salmon
Adapted from this recipe featured in the July/August issue of Food Network Magazine

- Serves 3 - 

1 1/2 tablespoons mirin or dry sherry
1 tablespoon white or awase miso paste (I used Trader Joe's "mild yellow" miso paste)
1 tablespoon loosely-packed light brown sugar
1/2 tablespoon water
3 salmon fillets (I use skin-on), about 1 pound in total
Toasted sesame seeds (optional)

Whisk mirin, miso paste, brown sugar, and water together in a shallow dish that will hold the salmon filets.  Add salmon, turning to coat both sides but particularly dressing the (skinless) top. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour or overnight.  

Remove salmon from the refrigerator and place onto a foil-lined baking sheet, drizzling any extra marinade on to the top of the filets. Broil until browned and cooked through, approximately 8 minutes or so.  Serve with a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds, if desired. (I let the salmon cool for a minute and remove the skin before plating and serving.)  


Garlic-Miso Chicken Wings
Adapted from Just One Cookbook (great step-by-step pictures at her site)

- Serves 2 to 4 - 

10 to 12 chicken wings* 
4 garlic cloves, grated or minced
3 tablespoons miso (I used Trader Joe's "mild yellow" miso, which is comparable to "awase" miso)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons mirin

Rinse chicken wings and pat dry thoroughly.  Prick the chicken wings with a fork and place into a plastic storage bag.  

In a small bowl, mix together the grated garlic and miso paste.  Add mixture to the chicken, seal bag, and work the garlic-miso paste into the chicken from the outside of the bag.  Refrigerate for at least 4-6 hours, or preferably overnight.

About 3 hours before cooking, add soy sauce and mirin to the bag and mix well.  Return to the fridge until ready to cook.

Line the bottom of your broiler pan with foil and lightly oil the broiler rack.  Place chicken on to the rack, skin side down.  Place an oven rack about 6 inches away from the broiler flame.  Turn broiler on high (no preheating necessary) and broil chicken for 10 minutes, or until nicely browned.  Flip the chicken and broil for about another 10 minutes, or until cooked through.  The skin should be crisp while the inside is juicy.

* You can use other chicken parts like chicken breast or thighs for this recipe.  If doing so, cook chicken on a parchment-lined baking sheet in a 425 degree oven.  Bake for approximately 30 minutes, flipping chicken halfway through cooking, until cooked through.