Black cod marinated in sweet white miso for two to three days, then broiled for three to four minutes until the glaze turns deep amber. The flesh stays silky and flakes at a touch, and a sharp wasabi-lime dressing on the side cuts the richness. Five ingredients for the fish, one sheet pan.
Ingredients:
Serves 4.
For the fish
- 4 skin-on black cod fillets, 7 oz each; Chilean sea bass works too
- 1 cup white miso
- ½ cup sake
- ½ cup mirin
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- Avocado oil for the pan
For the wasabi-lime dressing
- 2 teaspoons wasabi paste
- 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1½ tablespoons ginger oil (below)
- 5 tablespoons avocado oil
- ¼ teaspoon sugar
- Fine sea salt, white pepper
For the ginger oil
- ½ lb fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 cup avocado oil
Instructions:
- Ginger oil: blend the ginger and avocado oil on high speed. Let it stand 2 hours at room temperature, or overnight in the fridge. Keep it in the fridge up to 4 days.
- Marinade: bring the sake and mirin to a boil over medium heat, lower the heat slightly and whisk in the miso and sugar a little at a time until smooth. Take it off the heat and let it cool to room temperature.
- Pour the marinade into a dish that holds the fish in one layer, lay the fillets in and turn them so they are completely covered. Cover and refrigerate for 2 to 3 days.
- Dressing: blend the wasabi, lime and lemon juice, then with the blender running pour in the ginger oil and then the avocado oil in a thin stream. Add the sugar, salt and white pepper. Keep it covered in the fridge.
- Heat the broiler on low, 400°F.
- Lift the fish out, scrape off the excess marinade and lay it on a sheet pan lightly brushed with avocado oil.
- Set the pan 4 to 6 inches from the heat and broil 3 to 4 minutes, until the glaze is evenly browned. It is done when a metal skewer left 5 seconds in the thickest part feels warm on your wrist and a thermometer reads 145°F.
- Serve right away on warm plates, with the dressing alongside.
Why it tastes like a restaurant dish
Over two to three days the salt in the miso seasons the fish all the way through and firms it, while the sugars stay on the surface. Under the broiler, the amino acids in the miso and those sugars brown together into a savory, glossy crust, and the center barely cooks. Black cod is rich in natural oil, so it stays juicy even with an extra minute. Lime and lemon cut through that richness and make your mouth water, and the wasabi sends a quick warmth to your nose that clears before the next bite.
Questions I get about this one
Does the fish really sit in the marinade for 2 to 3 days?
Yes. I have tested it in my own kitchen: the miso seasons the fish through and the texture turns silky. Keep it covered in the fridge.
What if I cannot find black cod?
Chilean sea bass works: it is just as rich and flaky.
How do I know it is done?
The glaze is evenly browned, and a thermometer in the thickest part reads 145°F.
Can I make the dressing and ginger oil ahead?
Yes. The dressing keeps covered in the fridge; the ginger oil keeps up to 4 days in the fridge.
Why avocado oil?
It is neutral and does not compete with the miso. It is the oil I cook with.
If you would rather I cooked
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Sources: USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, Safe Minimum Internal Temperature Chart (fish 145°F). National Center for Home Food Preservation, homemade oils with fresh aromatics: refrigerate at 40°F or lower, no more than 4 days.
