Grilled Broiled Tofu And Vegetable Dengaku Recipes

BROILED TOFU WITH MISO (TOFU DENGAKU)

Steps:

• Pat tofu dry with paper towels, then wrap in fresh paper towels and put in a microwave-safe dish (see cooks' note, below). Microwave at high power 30 seconds. Pour off any liquid and wrap tofu in fresh paper towels. Microwave 1 or 2 more times for 30 seconds each time, pouring off any liquid, until tofu feels firmer.
• Preheat broiler.
• Stir together miso, sugar, and sake in a small saucepan. (If miso mixture is very thick, stir in 1 tablespoon water.) Cook over medium-high heat, stirring, until bubbling, glossy, and the consistency of ketchup, 1 to 3 minutes.
• Cut tofu in half horizontally and arrange, cut sides up, on a cutting board. Cut each half into 6 squares (pieces might not be perfectly square).
• Arrange tofu on a foil-lined broiler pan, cut sides up, and broil about 2 inches from heat until a crust just forms, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from oven and spread crusted side of each square with about 3/4 teaspoon miso mixture. Broil until tops are just bubbling and starting to color, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Skewer each square with 1 two-pronged pick or 2 parallel straight picks. Sprinkle with seeds.

GRILLED TOFU ON A STICK (TOFU DENGAKU)

Steps:

• Put miso, mirin, sugar and dashi in a pan and cook, stirring constantly , over low heat until sugar dissolves. Add egg yolk and mix well until glossy. Remove from heat.
• Cut tofu into 8 blocks (small popsicle shapes). In a 12" frying pan, heat oil on medium high. Add tofu and sauté, turning carefully so the blocks don't break, until medium brown.
• Spread miso on one side of the tofu (a pastry brush will do the job.).
• Skewer each piece of tofu with a skewer or wooden stick about 3-1/2 inches long and strong enough to hold up the tofu. A double pronged stick works well.
• Arrange on a plate and serve.

GRILLED TOFU AND VEGETABLE SKEWERS

Steps:

• If using wooden skewers, soak them in water for 30 minutes.
• Cut the tofu into 12 equal pieces by making 2 cuts through the short side of the block and 3 on the longer side; each piece will be a 1 1/4-by-2-inch rectangle. Place the tofu pieces on a paper towel lined-plate, top with another paper towel and press gently to dry.
• To assemble the skewers, thread a piece of tofu vertically onto a skewer, then top with a piece of zucchini, yellow squash, red onion and bell pepper. Repeat twice more, ending with a bell pepper. There should be 3 pieces of each ingredient per skewer. Repeat with remaining tofu and vegetables and place the skewers on a rimmed baking sheet or large platter.
• To make the marinade and sauce, stir together the parsley, oregano, shallots, garlic, honey, vinegar, oil, 2 teaspoons salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper in a medium bowl. Pour 2/3 cup of the marinade into a small bowl and stir in the pine nuts; set it aside for serving.
• Spoon the remaining marinade over the skewers and use a pastry brush to coat all sides of the tofu and vegetables. Season the skewers with salt and pepper.
• Prepare a grill for medium-high heat. Brush the grill grates with oil and grill the skewers, covered, turning them occasionally, until the tofu has grill marks and the vegetables are cooked through and a bit charred on the edges, 16 to 20 minutes.
• Transfer the skewers to a platter and spoon the pine nut and herb sauce over them. Serve with warm naan or pita.