Nobu’s Miso-Marinated Black Cod

So here continues to find my Asian cooking roots after my first trial of beef brisket with daikon and leek in clear soup with great success.

One of the big reasons that I haven’t cooked Chinese as much is because Asian cooking does require more preparations, details, fresher ingredients… Not that I can’t handle these. I just figured cooking western food could also be delicate and scrumptious, not to mention sometimes it’s definitely more convenient considered how much I love one pot meals.

However, I’ve started to get bored. And I realized that my kids do enjoy Chinese food a little more, especially fish, which I barely cook. Why? Because I am not a fish person. I know I am selfish and all. And I’ve decided to change that. Alright?!

We talked about this Nobu’s black cod dish when my two bestest girl friends were here. And I had a feeling that that’s the kind of fish that I would love to eat. Meaty, buttery, sweet and salty, but not fishy fishy. And you know what, turned out I cooked this and I think I’ve eaten all the amount of fish that I’m required to eat for the rest of my life!

The original recipe suggests to marinate the fish for two to three days. I only did one and a half. And it turned out great! Just in case you are as desperate as I was! I also didn’t use the oven. A few minutes per side was enough to fully cook the fish.

Ingredients (serves 4):
1/4 cup sake
1/4 cup mirin
4 tablespoons white miso paste
3 tablespoons sugar
4 black cod fillets, about 1/2 pound each

Directions:
Bring the sake and mirin to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat for 20 seconds to evaporate the alcohol. Turn the heat down to low, add the miso paste, and whisk. When the miso has dissolved completely, turn the heat up to high again and add the sugar, whisking constantly to ensure that the sugar doesn’t burn on the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat once the sugar is fully dissolved. Cool to room temperature.
Pat the black cod fillets thoroughly dry with paper towels. Place the fish and the miso marinade in a resealable plastic bag. Leave it flat on a plate and let it marinate overnight (or 2 to 3 days).
Lightly wipe off the marinade from the fillets.
Heat oil on a non-stick skillet over high heat. Place fish skin side up on the pan and cook until the bottom of the fish browns and blackens in spots, about 3 minutes. Flip and continue cooking until the other side is browned, 2 to 3 minutes. The fish is ready when it’s opaque and flakes easily.

7 comments

    1. Hi Julie, I haven’t tried baking the fish yet. But I would do it at at least 425F for 10 minutes, and see how it goes.

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