Chipotle Miso Black Cod

Miso has become a popular marinade for rich, oily fish, such as the black cod that I use here - it's also excellent with salmon. But this dish also has the sweet and savory flavors from the kabayaki glaze and lemon aioli, so you'll need two plastic squeeze bottles. Buen Provecho!
-Chef Richard Sandoval

Photo Credit: Paul Wagtouicz

Photo Credit: Paul Wagtouicz

Chiptole Miso Black Cod with Lemon-Togarashi Aioli

Yield: Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

For the Kabayaki Sauce:

  • 3/4 cup Junmai-shu sake (such as Gekkeikan Traditional)

  • 3/4 cup soy sauce

  • 3/4 cup sugar

  • 7 tablespoons mirin

For the Chipotle-Miso Marinade & Black Cod:

  • 1/3 cup white miso

  • 1/4 cup sugar

  • 2 tablespoons mirin

  • 2 tablespoons sake

  • 2 canned chipotle chiles in adobo, with clinging sauce

  • 4 (6oz) skinless black cod filets (or center-cut salmon filets)

For the Lemon-Togarashi Aioli:

  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise (preferably Kewpie)

  • 2 teaspoons shichimi togarashi*

  • 2 teaspoons sake

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

  • 1 garlic clove, finely minced

  • Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper

For the Salad:

  • 1 1/2 lbs asparagus, woody stems snapped off, stalks peeled with a vegetable peeler

  • 2 daikon radishes, cut into batons

  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

  • 2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh chives

DIRECTIONS

  1. Make the kabayaki sauce. Bring 1 1/2 cups water, the sake, soy sauce, sugar and mirin to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring often to be sure the sugary mixture does not burn, until it is reduced by about three-quarters and thickened into a syrup, about 20 minutes. Remove it from the heat and let the sauce cool. (The sauce will thicken more as it cools.) The kabayaki sauce can be refrigerated up to one week.
  2. Make the marinade. Puree the miso, sugar, mirin, sake and chipotles in a blender. Pour them into a 1-gallon zip lock plastic bag. Add the cod (or salmon if using) and seal in bag. Refrigerate it, turning the bag occasionally, for at least 4 hours or overnight.
  3. Make the togarashi aioli. Whisk the mayonnaise, togarashi, sake, lemon juice, and garlic together in a medium bowl. Season them to taste with salt & pepper. 
  4. Position a boiler rack about 8 inches from the source of heat and preheat the broiler on high. If the broiler is in the oven, position an oven rack in the center of the oven.
  5. Toss the asparagus and daikon radishes with the oil in a large rimmed baking sheet. Spread the asparagus & daikon in a single layer on the pan.
  6. Remove the cod (or salmon) from the marinade and discard the marinade. Oil the broiler rack. Add the cod, skin-side up, Broil until it is lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Turn it skin-side down and continue cooking for 2 minutes. Brush it with the glaze & let cook another 2 minutes. Add the asparagus & daikon and cook for another 4-5 minutes, until the asparagus are crisp-tender & the flesh of the fish looks barely opaque when pierced in the thickest part with the tip of a knife. Remove the fish and vegetables from the oven.
  7. For each serving, lay asparagus & daikon on each plate & top with a cod fillet. Remove any protruding bones if necessary. Spoon the aioli and kabayaki sauce over the fillets. Sprinkle chives over each plate and serve immediately. 

*NOTE: Shichimi Togarashi is a common Japanese spice mixture containing seven ingredients. It can be found at specialty Asian grocery stores or in the Asian food isle of most supermarkets. It can also be purchased online here.

Main CourseRichard Sandoval Hospitalityseafood, entree, asian