Ingredients

½ pound miso (Japanese bean paste)
¼ pound sugar
¼ cup sake
¼ cup mirin (sweet rice wine for cooking)
1/8 cup yuzu juice (tart Japanese citrus fruit) or lime juice
1 teaspoon salt
2 bunches (about 2 pounds) asparagus
Sesame seeds

Preparation

In a medium saucepan, combine miso, sugar, sake and mirin. Stir constantly over medium heat until boiling. Cook 10 to 15 minutes over low heat with stirring. Remove pan from heat.
Once cool, add yuzu juice and mix well. Transfer to container and keep in refrigerator. In a large pot, add salt to boiling water. Blanch asparagus (boil for 2 minutes then put in ice water).
Once cool, remove asparagus and chop into 1-inch pieces, then mix with yuzu miso sauce. Serve in a bowl with sesame seeds sprinkled on top. Serves 4.