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Broiled black cod

20 min • 4 servings •
Andrew Sachs

20 min •     4 servings•

Andrew Sachs

Soy-glazed black cod on a plate with marinade in the background, showcasing its rich color and caramelized edges.

Miso paste is one of those things that once purchased lives in the back of the refrigerator for ages. Thus, you can imagine my surprise when I went to prepare the marinade for David’s excellent black cod with miso recipe only to discover that I was fresh out. A trip to an Asian market was out of the question, so I improvised and left out the miso paste. The result was excellent. The elegant flavor of the fish comes out full force thanks to the more subtle marinade. Indeed it was so good that the next time I went to make black cod my family requested that I leave out the miso paste.

So even if you have miso paste on hand, I encourage you to give this variation a try — it speaks to the flakey strength of the flavorful fish.

Ready

  • ½ cup mirin rice wine
  • ½ cup sake (use the cheap stuff)
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • 4 black cod fillets (aprox 2 – 3 lbs)

    • Set

  • Bowl
  • Measuring cup
  • Plastic wrap or cover for bowl
  • Pyrex baking pan or the equivalent

    • Go!

  • Combing sake, rice wine and sugar into a bowl. Stir until the sugar has dissolved.
  • Add the cod filets to the marinade. Turn the fish over making sure they are completely covered in the sauce. Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours before cooking.
  • Pre-heat the broiler on high.
  • Remove cod filets from marinade and let any excess drip off the fish. Place filets in baking pan.
  • Broil the skinless side first for about 3 minutes. Turn and baste the skin with some of the reserved marinade. Grill for a further 3 minutes, or until the skin is blackened and the center of the fish is opaque.
  • Don’t over-cook under any circumstance. If you have a fussy guest who insists on it leathery, fry them an egg.

    • Recommendations

    Unlike David’s recipe I do not cook the mixture in frying pan to burn off excess alcohol. If you plan on cooking the cod over an open flame I would suggest not skipping this step to prevent flair ups and burned fish.

    black cod fish Japanese sake vegetarian

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