My Restaurant Trick for Making Ridiculously Good Miso Cod
Ever since my daughter declared herself a pescatarian, many of our dinners have centered around fish and seafood. While we eat our share of frozen shrimp, I like to change things up if I can get my hands on some fresh fish. A few years ago, I tried making miso-marinated black cod, a recipe made famous at Nobu restaurant, and it is now one of my daughter’s most requested dinners. I’m always happy to make this easy dinner — especially after I made the cooking method simpler by just using the broiler. While this recipe may sound fancy, it’s super easy to put together, and you’ll be rewarded with buttery, flaky, sweet-savory fish. We enjoy this dinner a few times a month, and serve it with steamed white rice and a stir-fried green veggie.
Get the recipe: Miso-Marinated Black Cod
What Makes Miso-Marinated Black Cod So Good
Miso-marinated black cod has buttery, flaky flesh that is hard to overcook. Even better, the marinade is easy to make and super flavorful. The sugar in the marinade also helps the fish to char in spots, adding another dimension of flavor. My absolute favorite part is that the cook time is less than 10 minutes once my broiler is heated up.
This recipe also works for easily feeding a crowd; I scaled it up to feed extended family once when we were renting a vacation house together. I marinated the fish ahead of time, then threw it in the cooler for the drive. The best part was that all I had to do was put it into the oven when it was time for dinner. My nephews said it was so good that it felt like they were eating at a fancy restaurant!
How to Make Miso-Marinated Black Cod
Make the marinade. Cook mirin, sake, sugar, and miso paste together into a quick marinade. Let it cool off.
Marinate the fish. Coat the fish in the marinade and refrigerate it for up to three days.
Cook the fish. Wipe off most of the marinade off the fish. To cook it, you can either broil it on a foil-lined rack (my preference), or sear it on the stovetop first before finishing it in the oven.
If You’re Making Miso-Marinated Black Cod, a Few Tips
The longer the marinating time, the tastier the fish will be. Plus, if it’s already marinated, you can skip straight to cooking when it’s almost time to eat.
While the recipe calls for white miso paste (the mildest type of miso), I’ve used all kinds of miso pastes and it’s still delicious.
Sometimes black cod is also known as sablefish, but I’ve also made this with salmon and love it too. Just be sure to choose a flaky, buttery fish if you aren’t using black cod.
Honestly, while you can sear it on the stovetop and finish cooking it in the oven, the broiling method is easy and quick, and with barely any cleanup or likelihood of smoking out your kitchen.
Get the recipe: Miso-Marinated Black Cod
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