Miso Marinated Black Cod

Instructions

Marinating the Fish:

1. 2-3 days before serving, make the miso marinade and marinate the fish. Bring the sake and mirin to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Boil for about 30 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 and add the sugar, whisking constantly to ensure the sugar dissolves completely and doesn’t burn on the bottom of the pan. Once the sugar is dissolved, remove from heat and cool to room temperature

2. Pat dry the fish portions thoroughly with paper towels. Slather the fish with the miso marinade and place in a non-reactive dish or bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator and marinate for 2 – 3 days.

To Cook The Fish:

Preheat oven to 400F. Heat an oven-proof skillet over high heat on the stovetop. Lightly wipe off any excess miso that may be clinging to the fish portions. Do NOT rinse with water.

Film the skillet with a little oil, then place the fish skin-side up and cook for about 3 minutes, until the bottom of the fish browns and blackens. Flip the fish and continue cooking until the other side is browned, 2-3 minutes. Transfer to the oven and bake for about 5 minutes, until the fish is opaque and flakes easily.

Cooking Tips

• Instead of cooking on the stovetop, you can also use the grill or broiler. For the grill: place the fish skin-side down. For the broiler: place on oiled foil that lines a sheet pan, skin-side up.  For both, have about 6 inches from the heat. Cook 2-3 minutes on each side until brown and blackened on each side. Test the fish to see if it flakes easily. If necessary, finish in a 400 F oven for about 2-3 minutes.  Fish is done when it pulls apart easily with a fork.
• If short on time, you can shorten the marinating time down to a few hours but the complexity of flavors won't be there. The prolonged marinating time is really what makes this dish special.