Miso, the Japanese paste of fermented soy beans, packs an umami punch. It adds an extra-savoury dimension to soups, marinades and salad dressings, and once you’ve tried miso butter, you’ll never look back – see Peter Gilmore’s recipe for grilled shiitake mushrooms with umami butter, or the snapper with broccolini and nori-miso butter. And don’t just limit miso to mains. It works wonders in desserts too, adding a pleasing salty counterpoint to sweets. Our pick? The peanut and miso shortbread bars by Lemonpi (aka Yu-ching Lee).

Miso noodle soup with mushrooms and ginger

Miso broth with spring vegetables and tofu

Little Valley’s miso-poached chicken and ham salad with chilli dressing

Prawn, cabbage and soba noodle salad

Miso with soba, poached eggs and spring onion

Radish, pear and seaweed salad with miso dressing

Chilled cucumber-ginger soup with raw tuna and miso

Korean miso soup with oyster cream (doenjang guk)

Matcha noodles with miso broth and soft egg

Peter Gilmore’s grilled shiitake mushrooms with umami butter

Grant Achatz’s cucumber, orchard fruits and lettuces with white sesame, white pepper and white miso dressing

Toasted corn and spelt with miso dressing

Fuyu’s fried cauliflower with white miso, sesame and furikake

Yama Kitchen & Bar’s potatoes with miso and pecorino

Miso-glazed mushrooms with walnuts and black barley

Snapper with broccolini and nori-miso butter

Charred miso eggplant with nori and sesame

Miso chicken and green beans with sesame

Japanese mustard-miso roasted beef fillet

Barbecued lamb ribs with yuzu-sesame yakiniku sauce

Miso-caramel apples with macadamia crumble

Chocolate self-saucing pudding with miso and sesame crunch

Miso roast mulloway with sesame and sautéed greens

Pan-fried barramundi with eggplant and miso purée
