Black Cod with Miso-Ginger Glaze
Serves 4 | Prep Time 5 minutes, plus 30 minutes for marinating | Cook Time 7 min
Here's what happens when the Far East meets the Not-So-Far East. My Russian great-grandmother Rebecca adored sablefish, aka black cod, a key ingredient in her "white meal" sablefish (which has alabaster flesh), sour cream, and steamed red potatoes. My fond memories of her sablefish cravings inspired this recipe, and then I took a left turn courtesy of Okinawa-born Yoshi Tome, owner of Sausalito's Sushi Ran restaurant. who has an outrageously tasty and healthy black cod dish. I opted to re-create some of the flavors from his dish, using miso, mirin, ginger, and toasted sesame oil.
Instructions
Lightly oil an ovenproof pan large enough to accommodate all of the fillets in a single laver. Put the mirin, miso, lime juice, ginger, and sesame oil in a small bowl and whisk until well combined. Rinse the fillet and pat them dry. Put them in the prepared pan and brush 1 tablespoon of the miso mixture on each fillets, spreading it evenly on both sides. Reserve the remaining mixture. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Position one oven rack about 4 inches below the broiler and another rack in the center of the oven. Pre-heat the oven to 375°F.
Bake the fillets on the center rack of the oven for 5 to 6 minutes or, if they are thick, until the flesh looks opaque and is beginning to flake. Turn the oven to broil move the fillets to the top rack of the oven, and broil for 3 to 4 minutes, until brown and caramelized on top.
Meanwhile, heat the reserved miso mixture in a small saucepan over medium heat just until it starts bubbling. Drizzle over the fillets, sprinkle with the cilantro and scallion, and serve immediately.
COOK'S NOTE: The Asian-style marinade in this dish is great with other fish too, including sea bass, wild salmon, and halibut. Whatever type of fish you use, Asian Cabbage Crunch (page 87) or Sweet-and-Sour Asian Cabbage and Kale (page 96) would be a nice accompaniment.
WHO KNEW? Talk about longevity! The oldest sablefish on record lived to be ninety-four years old. It's common for sablefish to reach their nineties.
VARIATION: If you want some extra gingery heat, add another teaspoon of freshly grated ginger to the reserved miso mixture when you heat it in the saucepan. Don't add it before marinating the fish, because ginger has strong enzvmatic activity and will break down the fish, giving it a mealv texture--not good.
STORAGE: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 day.
PER SERVING: Calories: 195; Total Fat: 15.5 g (2 g saturated, 8.5 g monounsaturated); Carbohydrates: 14 8; Protein: 4 8; Fiber: 2.5 g; Sodium: 287 mg
Ingredients
¼ cup mirin
3 tablespoons light miso
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1½ teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oll
4 (4-ounce) black cod fillets, bones removed
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish
1 tablespoon slivered scallion, white and green parts, for garnish