James Martin's miso black cod
It’s a dish often found on the menus of high-end Japanese restaurants. But today James Martin is showing us it's easy to recreate miso black cod at home - without the hefty price tag!
Miso cod
Serves: 2
Ingredients
250ml cooking dry sweet sake250ml mirin rice wine vinegar150g white miso paste120g granulated sugar2 x 200g black cod filet/salmon/other fish
Method
1. Bring the sake and mirin to a boil in a medium saucepan over a high heat. Boil for 20 seconds to evaporate the alcohol. Turn the heat down to low, add the miso paste, and whisk.
2. When the miso has dissolved completely, turn the heat up to high again and add the sugar, whisking constantly to ensure that the sugar doesn’t burn on the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat once the sugar is fully dissolved. Cool to room temperature.
3. Pat the fish fillets thoroughly dry with paper towels. Slather the fish with the miso marinade and place in a non-reactive dish or bowl and cover tightly with clingfilm. Leave to marinate in the fridge for 2 to 3 days.
4. To cook the fish: Preheat the oven to 220C. Heat an oven-proof skillet over high heat on the hob. Lightly wipe off any excess miso clinging to the fillets, but don’t rinse it off. Film the pan with a little oil, then place the fish skin-side-up on the pan and cook until the bottom of the fish browns and blackens in spots, about 3 minutes. Flip and continue cooking until the other side is browned, 2 to 3 minutes.
5. Transfer to the oven and bake for 5 to 10 minutes, until the fish is opaque and flakes easily. Serve with the dried miso salad.
Baby spinach salad dry miso
Serves: 2
Ingredients
60g/ ⅔ cup sliced leeks280g/10oz baby spinach2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil2 tsp truffle oil1 tbsp yuzu juice (or grapefruit, satsuma & lime juice)2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheeseFreshly ground black pepper80g dried miso (can be bought online)
Method
1. In a deep pan filled with hot oil, or a deep fryer, deep fry the leeks until crisp
2. In a bowl, dress the spinach with the olive oil, truffle oil, yuzu juice, Parmesan and pepper. Add the dried miso just at the end so it stays crispy.
3. Serve with the fish
Tips: If you don’t have yuzu juice, you can use lemon or lime juice. You can also add crispy tofu skin for extra texture and crunch. You can serve with a salad, on its own, as a side or even with grilled fish such as prawns, or seared scallops.