By JAMIE LIPHARDT for the Flathead Beacon
Fast, fresh and delicious are the main factors in my dinner preparation these days. After procuring some sushi grade ahi tuna, I decided that indeed, Asian was the flavor profile I was in the mood for. In my weekly vegetable share I had some beautiful spinach and green onions to use. Brown jasmine rice in the cupboard and edamame in the freezer, dinner was starting to take shape. One of my favorite marinades or accompaniments to fish is a miso glaze. Miso is a fermented soy bean paste. It has the consistency of peanut butter and comes in a wide variety of flavors and colors. It is a Japanese culinary mainstay that is easily digested and extremely nutritious having rich amounts of B vitamins and protein. It is found in the refrigerated section of a grocery store or your local health food store. It also works well as a dipping sauce or salad dressing so I always make extra and keep it stored in the fridge.
Serves 4
Miso glaze
4 Tbs. miso paste
4 Tbs. soy sauce
3 Tbs. rice vinegar
2 Tbs. toasted sesame oil
2 Tbs. sweet chili sauce (or sriracha if you like it spicy!)
1 Tbs. brown sugar
1 Tbs. minced garlic
Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk by hand until smooth or use the preferred method of combining ingredients in a food processor and rest your arm. Transfer to a shallow baking dish, reserving a 1/4 c. of the glaze.
Marinate four 6-8 oz. tuna steaks in a shallow baking dish for up to 1 hour. Alternately, use whatever fish you’d like. Remove from marinade and grill over high heat about two minutes per side for rare, three minutes per side for medium rare. Serve over steamed rice with vegetables of your choice. Brush on reserved glaze before serving or pass extra at the table. Fast, fresh and delicious. Enjoy!
Jamie Liphardt is a personal chef with Delicious HomeCooked Food in Bigfork.
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