Umami rich and sticky sweet, dengaku sauce is best known in recent times as a glaze for grilled eggplant. Dengaku can be used to glaze anything you like, from vegetables to proteins.
The etymology of dengaku is uncommonly cute. At festivals, grilled tofu was (and is) topped with the sauce with a skewer inserted into the white block ¡ª this is said to resemble a white-robed performer known as a »å±ð²Ô²µ²¹°ì³Ü³ó¨²õ³ó¾±, who performed acrobatics balanced atop a single bamboo pole (a mimic of ancient rice planting technique).
Usually, dengaku sauce is boiled before application. The starches in the beans and rice °ì¨Âá¾± (Aspergillus oryzae) that make up the miso thicken along with the addition of extra sugar in sweet mirin (unpasteurized °ì¨Âá¾± miso will be most active in terms of enzymes and have best results). These same parts make a delicious marinade that can be eaten as is or cooked afterward. For a more savory marinade, the extra sugar can be omitted.
In the Tokachi region of Hokkaido, premium local Camembert cheese can be bought pre-soaked in a similar sauce. It gives this Japanese cheese a sharp, aged flavor mimicking stronger cheeses, the likes of which are usually imported. Outside of this premium priced and niche local offering, small wheels of Camembert cheese are cheap and widely available throughout the country.
This technique can also be used to marinade tofu that has had excess liquid pressed out. This vegan alternative is found in many cookbooks, including ¡°Hawaii Washoku.¡±
If the Camembert you chose is the type that comes in a small plastic container, all the better. After unwrapping, it can be placed back inside, immersed and covered to age. While perfect as is, if the mood strikes you, this dish can be briefly baked in a close-fitting, heat-proof ramekin. Some premium imported varieties may even come in thin wooden boxes that can be used for baking and discarded afterward.
Serves 4
Prep time: 5 minutes (plus 1 week to marinade)
Ingredients:
- 1 small Camembert wheel (90-100 grams)
- 30 grams white °ì¨Âá¾± miso
- 15 milliliters sake
- 15 milliliters mirin
Directions:
1. Unwrap the Camembert and poke a few holes in the rind with a fork or toothpick.
2. Mix the miso with your sake and mirin to form a paste.
3. Place some of this marinade paste in the container the cheese came in, a ramekin or other small container. Place the cheese on top, then smother it with the remaining marinade and cover.
4. After a week, brush off the excess miso before slicing the cheese to serve with crackers or rustic bread. Any extra marinade makes a great salad dressing with a dash of vinegar and a glug of olive oil.
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