This rich buttery fish is perfectly paired with a white miso paste, thanks to Nobu Matsuhisa who made this dish popular in the Western world. You can easily make it at home for a fraction of the price you would pay in restaurants!
What is black cod? This fish bears many names, but “Black cod” or “Gindara” are the ones you see most on restaurant menus. It’s also called butterfish or sablefish, the latter is recognized officially in the U.S. Therefore, the grocery stores label the fish as “sablefish”. It is found in the North Pacific ocean and surprisingly, does not belong to the cod family.
What does sablefish taste like? It has a mild taste and like one of his names hints it, it also tastes buttery. The higher fat content is what gives sablefish its rich buttery taste and the reason why one small filet of about 5-6 oz is enough for one serving.
TIPS FOR MAKING MISO BLACK COD
Sake: This ingredient cannot be omitted. Sake helps with washing the fishy smell off the black cod.
White miso: Miso is a traditional Japanese fermeted soybean and the white miso is the sweetest of all types with a lower sodium content and has a mild flavor which is perfect for fish marinades. If you are interested in reading more about miso and its different types, Just One Cookbook wrote a great detailed post about it.
Marinating process: For best results and flavors, it is required to marinate the fish for at least 24 hours, but ideally 48 hours.
Removing the marinade before cooking: It’s important to remove the marinade as much as possible off the filets before searing and cooking. Because of the sugar and miso, it can easily burn if you don’t remove it.
Suggestions for serving miso black cod: I love to eat the filets with green stir fried vegetables such as bok choy stir fried with some olive oil and garlic. The bitterness of green vegetables balances well with the sweetness and buttery taste of the fish. You can also serve the fish filets with a simple leafy green salad.
Equipment
- Saucepan
- Stir fry pan
- Baking dish
Ingredients
- 4 filets of about 5-6 oz black cod/sablefish/butterfish
- 3 TBSP sake
- 3 TBSP mirin
- ¼ cup white sugar
- ¼ cup white miso or Saikyo miso
- 1 TBSP olive oil
Instructions
- Pat dry each filet and put them into a sealed bag, set aside.
- In a saucepan, mix sake, mirin and sugar. Bring it onto a boil, add white miso, mix well and bring it to simmer. Stir frequently to avoid the miso from burning. Close heat when the marinade is well combined and lightly brown - about three to five minutes. Leave it to cool completely.
- Once the marinade is cooled, pour it into the sealed bag and make sure the marinade is well distributed throughout the filets. Keep it in the fridge for 24 to 48 hours.
- After 24 to 48 hours of marinating the fish filets, remove marinade from each filet with a paper towel.
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Heat a pan with olive oil on medium high heat. Sear the filets, meat down and skin side up, until a brown color is obtained, about 1 minute. Finish baking the filets in the oven for 10 minutes in a baking dish.
