The Best Black Cod

Japanese food is so refined, elegant, and beautiful, just like this baked miso-marinated black cod.

Made famous by Nobu Matsuhisa and one of Robert De Niro’s favorites, I fell in love with this fish recipe since the first time I had it. While this recipe is not too hard to make at home, ordering it at Japanese restaurants here in Southern California is quite expensive.

So, I bought Nobu: The Cookbook and slowly but surely made all of my favorite Japanese dishes (check out my baked scallops recipe).

Ingredients for Black Miso Cod

• Sablefish
• Sake
• Mirin
• White miso paste
• Sugar

Frequently Asked Questions

What fish is similar to black cod?

The most similar fish is Chilean Sea Bass. Both of these fish are buttery and rich.

What is the difference between black cod and cod?

Cod refers to different kinds of fish, coming from different oceans. They are similar, but from different families.

Is black cod and sablefish the same?

Yes, they are the same.

How many calories?

This recipe has 518 calories per serving.

What Dishes to Serve with this Recipe?

This meal is best served as the main entree. For a wholesome meal and easy weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes.

Tempura

Soba (Japanese Buckwheat Noodle)

Chicken Karaage (Japanese Fried Chicken)

Chawanmushi (Japanese Steamed Egg Custard)

Yield: 2 people

Miso Black Cod

Print

Miso Cod - delicious, moist, tender, and crazy delicious cod fish marinated with Japanese miso. This miso cod recipe is made famous by Nobu Matsuhisa.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 2-3 black cod fillets, about 1 lb. (0.4 kg)

For the marinate:

• 1/4 cup sake
• 1/4 cup mirin
• 4 tablespoons white miso paste
• 3 tablespoons sugar

Instructions

1. Mix the marinate ingredients thoroughly in a plastic container (with lid) and set aside. Save some for plating purposes.
2. Pat the fish fillets dry with paper towels and put them into the plastic container with the marinate. Cover the lid and leave to steep in the refrigerator overnight or for 24 hours.
3. Preheat oven to 400°F (207°C).
4. Preheat an indoor grill at the same time.
5. Lightly wipe off (with fingers) any excess miso marinate clinging to the fish fillets but don't rinse it off. Place the fish on the grill and lightly grill on both sides until the surface turns brown.
6. Transfer the fish fillets to the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes.
7. Add a few extra drops of the marinate on the plate and serve hot.

Notes

You can substitute black cod for see bass or salmon or any kinds of flaky fish fillets. There are many different kinds of miso (red, brown, white, and more). Make sure you get white miso. I like my miso cod more intense with the flavors of sake and miso, and that being said, the marinate sauce might be too watery for plating purposes as one of my readers pointed out. Heat up the sauce to thicken it if you wish to use it for plating. Or if you like, you can reduce the amount of sake and mirin to slightly less than 1/4 cup each. Use 5 tablespoons miso if you prefer a deeper miso flavor.

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Nutrition Information

Serving Size

2 people
Amount Per Serving Calories 518Total Fat 16gSaturated Fat 3gCholesterol 774mgSodium 3960mgCarbohydrates 81gFiber 4gSugar 54gProtein 329g