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Grilled Miso-Butter Corn and Tofu – A Vegan BBQ

kellie anderson


After the challenges of what is usually a disappointing summer – weatherwise at least – we are often treated to a rather beautiful September. All summer long, folk up and down the country have been chased indoors from picnics, fetes, celebrations and barbecues by plant-ripping hailstones and sudden gusting winds. Sadly, grey skies and Great Britain seem to go hand and hand. You get used to it.


But most starts to Autumn lead with calm and settled skies. Often tepid-warm and blindingly-bright, the lowered sun skims trees and glints off our pale stone buildings. Absolutely stunning. I’ve always thought this should be the time to have barbecues. And so we do. I know the kids are back to school but hey, they gotta eat. May as well be outside with the chance of a bit of a run around with the football, or trampling some plants.

We may not be in shorts, or sporting much in the way of bare limbs, but while the evenings are still fairly elongated we try and drag out our coal-burning cooker as often as we can. I actually prefer cooler weather barbecuing: standing by a hot grill, eating hot food, while being hot is not my idea of fun.

To be perfectly honest our family barbecues are often of the butcher’s-best sausages, grilled vegetables and bunged together salad variety, with perhaps a foil-wrapped pudding – rescued, come bedtime, from embers as we pat our too-full tummies.

Because we often don’t know it is a nice day until we are well into said day, not much planning happens. No flicking through cookbooks or consulting web pages, just a ransack of the freezer and vegetable bin. But, sometimes we get a decent run of the old golden orb and I put on my thinking cap. Yesterday was such a day.

To celebrate this late, bone-warming fillip I pulled together silk-jacketed corn, a virgin packet of sweet white miso, some coconut butter, a lime and couple of packs of tofu and called it dinner. With of course a bunged together salad (coated in a fabulous dressing. Give me some credit), and a fab fruity skillet cobbler. The grill-top skillet cobbler is for the next post, so have some ripe and seasonal plums and berries handy.

Tonight I’m not sure what Miss R and I shall have for dinner. Mr A is away coastal camping with work colleagues, so the portions of whatever we decide on will be smaller, and very likely healthier: I am in no doubt that sausages, tortilla chips and sweets will feature quite highly on the camping menu. There was talk of garlic snails and langoustines, but I think they were just winding me up. As for why I am not there with my colleagues and friends: a) I am holding the fort with Miss R, b) I have fully-loaded pincushions for joints and, most crucially, c) I have a bladder the size of a gnat’s handbag. I am not a happy camper.

By the way, the grilled miso-coconut butter corn and tofu can be done under an oven grill/broiler, or on  a stove-top griddle pan. I tried it out to be sure, and it was absolutely delish. And with the added bonus of no thieving chickens.

Are you indulging in any autumnal barbecues or camping adventures? What do you eat? What’s the best and worst things about eating outdoors?

Vegan Grilled Miso-Butter Corn and Tofu 

 
Last Year: Baked Veracruz Fish with a Twist
Kellie’s Track of the Week: River Man by Nick Cave – dear Lord, this is a fabulous song, and quite timely too
 
Hide these from the burger and sausage eaters, or you won’t get any. Show no mercy.
 
Miso-Coconut Butter
 
3 tbsp white or yellow miso (the mild, so-called sweet kinds)
4 tbsp coconut butter/oil (or dairy butter, or a mix of the two)
a good squeeze of fresh lime or lemon juice, to taste
ground white pepper, to taste
 
4 ears of corn, husked and de-silked (tie back the husks to make a turning handle if you like)
500g/1 lb of firm tofu, squeezed of moisture between some kitchen towels
A clean grill, heatproof pastry-type brush and BBQ spatula
Spring onions/scallions, chopped
 
First of all, heat the coals/wood, or fire up the gas. When the coals are starting to go ashy, with only glow and no flame, that’s the time to get your corn and tofu slapped on. So, while all that’s getting going, sort the food.
 
I like to steam my corn first – about eight minutes – as it makes the corn very tender. But if you are keeping the husks on to make a turning handle (which is kind of cool to do), just throw them raw on a medium hot grill when you are ready. 
 
Slice the tofu into ‘steaks’ about ½ inch thick – any thinner and they will probably fall apart when you turn them. Set aside.
 
In a small pan, heat and whisk together the coconut butter, miso, pepper and lime or lemon juice. The coconut and miso will want to separate but the citrus should bring them together as long as the mixture remains warm. If you are using a dairy butter and miso mix, they will be good friends and not part. 
 
When your coals are good to go, slick a small amount of miso butter on each piece of corn and tofu, and grill until golden and caught in places – for the corn; and dark gold with a firm outer layer – for the tofu. Check and turn often, basting as necessary. Serve with the remaining warmed miso butter and spring onions. All this needs is a green salad and a bottle of beer. If, like me, corn doesn’t agree with you, cook some rice or potatoes (sweet or white) and toss some miso butter through – divine! PS The grill I used is Mr A’s childhood hibachi – proper vintage!
 
Serves 4 (refrigerate any leftover miso butter and use to make a spring onion omelette)
 
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