Nobu's Black Cod With Miso

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Nobu Matsuhisa

As one of the greatest chefs, Nobu Matsuhisa manages to turn simple dishes into masterpieces of honest complexity. After just a single mouthful, you know that years of training, thought, tradition and heart have been married together to create a taste explosion you won’t easily forget.

Nobu’s Black Cod with Miso

Nobu’s Black Cod with Miso

Hands-on time 30min, plus up to 2 days marinating and cooling. Cooking time about 15min. serves 4.

·         4 thick cod fillets, sbout 225g (8oz) each

·         Picked ginger, to serve

For the Nobu-style marinade

·         75ml (3fl oz) saké

·         75ml (3fl oz) mirin (rice wine)

·         225g (8oz) white miso paste, available from Japanese supermarkets or online

·         125g (4oz) granulated sugar

1.    To make the Nobu-style marinade, bring the saké and mirin to the boil in a pan over high heat; bubble for 20sec. Turn heat down to low; add the white miso paste, whisking to help it dissolve. Once the miso has dissolved, turn up the heat and add the sugar, stirring, constantly. When the sugar has dissolved, take off the heat and cool to room temperature.

2.    Dry fish thoroughly with kitchen paper, then put into a non-metallic bowl or serving dish. Pour over most of the cooled miso mixture (reserve about 1¹/₂bsp in a separate bowl for the garnish). Cover the dishes with lingfilm and chill for up to 2 days.

3.    Preheat oven to 200^oC (180^oC fan) mark 6. Lightly wipe excess marinade off the fish (do not wash). Heat a large, non-stick frying pan and fry the fish, skin-side down, until the skin is golden and crisp. Arrange on a baking tray and cook in the oven for 5-10min.

4.    Garnish fish with pickled ginger and dot a little reserved miso marinade on to the plates. Serve with rice and steamed green veg.

Per serving

270cals, 3s fat (0.5g saturates), 20d carbs (15g total sugars)

GH verdict

This recipe requires lengthy marinating, which you can decrease if you’re pushed for time. The original recipe uses black cod, but this can be hard to get hold of (and expensive). Chunky cod, salmon or sea bass fillets also work well.