Black Cod with Miso

By Nobuyuki Matsuhisa, Author, Nobu: The Cookbook

Serves 4

Black Cod in Miso
4 black cod fillets, about 1/2 pound each
3 cups Nobu style Saikyo Miso
1 stalk hajikami per serving (ginger pickled in sweet vinegar, see recipe below)

Nobu –style Saikyo Miso (for 3 cups)
sake
¾ cup mirin
2 cups white miso paste
1¼ cups granulated sugar

1. Bring the sake and mirin to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Boil for 20 seconds to evaporate the alcohol. Turn the heat down to low and add the miso paste, mixing with a wooden spoon. When the miso has dissolved completely, turn the heat up to high again and add the sugar, stirring constantly with the wooden spoon to ensure that the bottom of the pan doesn’t burn. Remove from heat once the sugar is fully dissolved. Cool to room temperature.

2. Pat the fillets thoroughly dry with paper towels. Slather the fish with Nobu-style Saikyo Miso and place in a nonreactive dish or bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Leave to steep in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days.

3. Preheat the oven to 400˚F. Preheat the grill or broiler. Lightly wipe off any excess miso clinging to the fillets but don’t rinse it off. Place the fish on the grill or in a broiler pan and grill or broil until the surface of the fish turns brown. Then bake for 10 to 15 minutes. Arrange the black cod fillers on individual plates and garnish with hajikami. Add a few extra drops of Nobu style Saikyo Miso to each plate.

Hajikami Ginger Pickled in Sweet Vinegar:
Peel and cut ginger thinly into 6 inch lengths. Briefly plunge the ginger into a pot of boiling water to which rice vinegar has been added (1 tablespoon per 1 quart of water). Drain and sprinkle thoroughly with sea salt. Let cool to room temperature. In a glass jar or container, put amazu marinade (1 cup rice wine vinegar, ¼ cup water, 3 tablespoons sugar) and add ginger into marinade. Ginger will turn pink. Amazu ginger can keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 months.