step 1
In a small bowl, combine the Miso Paste (3 Tbsp) and Gochujang (4 tsp) together. Put a piece of parchment paper into a cookie sheet and spread the paste thinly, 1 millimeter thick, onto the parchment paper.
step 2
Set the oven to 150 degrees F (65 degrees C) or as low as your oven can go.
step 3
Bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes.
step 4
Once 1 hour and 30 minutes has passed, check to see if the paste feels ‘bendy’ or ‘gummy’. When you bend the parchment paper, the paste should crack slightly. If it still feels moist, continue to bake it for another 30 minutes until it is dry.
step 5
Once the paste has dried, rip it off the parchment paper and break it up into smaller pieces and blitz it in a food processor or blender until it becomes a powder.
step 6
Set the powder aside.
step 7
In a frying pan, set the stove to low heat and add in the Bonito Flakes (1 cup), Soy Sauce (2 tsp) and Mirin (2 tsp) and start toasting it for approximatly 5-7 minutes.
step 8
Add the Sesame Seeds (4 Tbsp) and Garlic (2 cloves) and mix it together and toast it for another 4-6 minutes until they are ‘candied’. It should be golden brown colour, make sure to keep everything moving in the pan to prevent it from burning.
step 9
Remove it from the heat and set it aside to cool for 10 minutes. When it is cool it should feel crispy and candied. If it still feels moist, add it back into the frying pan to toast for another 1-2 minutes and let cool again.
step 10
Once the bits have cooled, use your fingers to break apart the pieces. Some of the bonito flakes might still be in large chunks. Once everything has been crumbled into small pieces, set it aside for later.
step 11
Using your hand, rip the Nori Sheet (1 sheet) in half.
step 12
Then take first sheet and rip it into thin pieces 1-2 centimeter wide strips, repeat the same process on the second sheet. They don’t need to be perfectly sized.
step 13
Once all the seaweed are in short 1-2 centimeter strips stack 3-4 of them on top of each other and use scissors to cut them into tiny pieces. I like to be whimsical and not cut them uniformly sized, by cutting triangle shapes from the corners of the strips.
step 14
Once the seaweed is all shredded up, set it aside for later.
step 15
Once you have finished making the miso/gochujang powder, toasted the ingredients and shredded the seaweed and everything has cooled, combine all the seaweed, toasted ingredients and 3 tablespoons of miso/gochujang powder and mix well in a small bowl.
step 16
Store in an air tight container for a few weeks. Enjoy with: plain white rice, eggs, pasta, popcorn, roasted potatoes..etc.
