Grilled Baby Bok Choy With Lemon-Miso Sauce

I have never given much thought to miso. To me, it was just the name of a soup in a black lacquer bowl that came free with meals at most Japanese restaurants. Then I bought some and suddenly I am seeing recipes all over the place that call for it.

White miso, which is the type called for in today’s recipe, is made from soybeans that have been fermented with a large percentage of rice. (Learn about the other types of miso here.) It’s the mildest of the misos with a delicate salty, nutty flavor. It imparted such a lovely nuance to this simple lemon sauce that is served with bok choy.

If you’ve never grilled bok choy (and I hadn’t), it’s a fantastic way to prepare it. A quick toss with sesame oil before tossing it on the bbq gives it a pop of flavor that marries perfectly with the miso sauce.

Grilled Baby Bok Choy With Lemon-Miso Sauce

Ingredients:

1/4 cup lemon juice
2 Tbs white miso paste
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 Tbs water
1 Tbs cornstarch
1 pound baby bok choy
2 Tbs toasted sesame oil

1. Heat grill to medium-high.

2. In a small saucepan, whisk together the lemon juice, miso paste, garlic and 2 tablespoons of the water. Place on the stovetop over low heat and cook until steaming.

3. In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of the water until smooth. Whisk this mixture into the saucepan and cook over medium-low heat until thickened, about 1 minute. Keep warm.

4. Cut any large heads of the bok choy in half lengthwise. Place bok choy in a bowl, drizzle with sesame oil and toss to coat.

5. Place the bok choy on grill. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, turning frequently, until the leaves are limp and slightly charred. Transfer to plate.

3. Serve bok choy drizzled with the miso sauce.

Serves 6

Recipe from Vermont Castings’ Modern Grilling Cookbook