V Cook—An Indulgent, Black Cod with Miso Marinade Simplified and Decoded

Starting off the new year with a renewed focus on healthy eating and living can be challenging, therefore, a tasty,  yet nutritious reward to keep motivated, is one way to incentivize long-term goals. Luckily, VB’s friend and chef, Andrea Rodriquez, crafted his take on a restaurant favourite, black cod with a delicious miso glaze. Cod is a protein-rich fish that also has lots of omega-3 fatty acids, the combination of which also nourishes skin from within to promote a healthy glow. The low calorie protein gets a dose of flavour through a clever marinade made from fruits and vegetables with a touch of sake and mirin for depth and acidity. But, a note that one bite will have your guests longing to make reservations at your place for months to come.

Black cod with miso marinade (serves 2)

Ingredients:

Black cod:

2 black cod fillets (200 grams each)

Avocado oil spray 

Miso marinade/glaze:

300 grams raw white miso paste 

150 millilitres sake

150 millilitres mirin 

1 leek, finely chopped 

1 shallot, finely chopped 

2 pink lady apples, cored, finely chopped 

Unflavoured sweet drops sweetener, to taste (optional) 

Avocado oil spray

Miso marinade recipe:

In a small to medium sauce pan spray a little of the avocado oil spray and move over the hob on fire

When hot, add leek, shallot, and apples and leave to cook mixing often until the mixture breaks to become a semi-paste  (approx. 5 to 10 minutes) and set aside

In a small sauce pan pour sake and mirin and cook over the hob on high fire to let the alcohol evaporate

Then turn the fire to low and gently mix the miso paste with the reduced sake and mirin until well mixed

After, add the mixture of leek, shallot, and apple and blend to a paste

Taste, and if not sweet enough, add a little sweet drops at the time to reach the desired sweetness

Your miso marinade is ready— leave to cool down to room temperature before using 

Black cod recipe:

Marinate the fillets for 2 days in a generous quantity of the marinade inside a ziploc bag

Remove from the marinade and gently clean the fillets with your hands from excess marinade but do not wash the fish

Preheat oven to full grill and line a baking tray with baking parchment or non-stick foil and generously spray with the avocado oil spray to avoid sticking

Put the fish fillets skin side down on the tray and grill in the oven keeping an eye on them for about 5 minutes or until you can see the bones coming out from the centre of the fillets

Take out of the oven and remove the bones with fish bone tweezers

Return the boneless fillets to the oven and finish grilling them for another 5 to 7 minutes or until the fish is cooked and nicely glazed (chef’s note: be very careful not to burn it—always keep an eye on the fish while cooking at all stages)

Once the fish is ready, take it out of the oven and serve it with slices of lemon and a generous amount of the miso glaze on the side