Miso-Honey Black Cod

misohoneyfish

aka Nobu’s Miso Black Cod.
aka candy fish.
aka the best thing to serve to guests (so easy/feels fancy).

Of course I should mention that I’ve never had the black cod at Nobu, don’t have the Nobu Cookbook, and don’t use any sugar in most of my food…

…so, this is my own take on a classic Japanese recipe, and humble as I am, I don’t mind saying that it’s fucking delicious. Yep, it merits the f-bomb. It’s that good.

I can only imagine fantasize how amazing the Miso Black Cod at Nobu must be…

misohoneyfish2

But back to my (humble) kitchen. The miso-honey marinade is magic- it soaks into the fish AND caramelizes on the surface, making every buttery bite a sweet/salty treat for your oh-so-refined tongue.

This fish makes you feel fancy folks. Just go with it.

misohoneyfork

The only thing I would change next time is MORE fish. Because as you can see from the pictures, I had quite the petite filet of black cod. Trust me when I tell you, that forkful of fish is not for effect- I’m just pleased I could steady my hand and pause for a moment on the way to my mouth.

Oops. I just ate my model.
And that concludes our photo shoot.

Miso-Honey Black Cod
 
This simple recipe is equally perfect for week night dinners and fancy dinner parties. Just remember that the fish needs a few days to marinate!
Ingredients
  • ¼ cup sake
  • ¼ mirin
  • 3 tablespoons miso
  • 1.5 tablespoons honey
  • 2-4 black cod filets
Instructions
  1. Bring the sake and mirin to a boil on the stovetop for 30 seconds.
  2. Reduce heat and add miso and honey, stirring until combined.
  3. Remove mixture from heat, pour into a baking dish, and let come to room temperature.
  4. Place fish skin-side up in marinade, cover, and refrigerate 2-3 days.
  5. Broil Fish on each side for 3-4 minutes, then finish in oven for 7-10 minutes at 400 degrees.

 



Pickled Strawberry Ice Cream Sauce

I had to eat so much ice cream to get that one picture, you guys.
I know, a real tragedy.

And it’s still not quite what I was after. Photographing ice cream is a difficult, melty mess. Jeez. Dreams of the perfect scoop sitting pretty in a champagne coupe aside, I persevered because pickled strawberry ice cream sauce is amazing.

easy way to core strawberries

And if you don’t believe me, it’s insanely easy to make, so just go ahead and try it.

And while we’re on the subject of insanely easy, do you guys know about coring strawberries with a straw? You just shove the straw through the bottom of the strawberry, and off pops the top! Amazing right?

Or maybe I’m just easily entertained…

pickled strawberry ice cream sauce

But if I can pull off this recipe in a cloud of post-Japan pickle withdrawal jet lag, then you can definitely whip up a batch tonight, and be eating pickled strawberry ice cream sundaes this very weekend.

Yep, this weekend. Those beautiful berries need to sit overnight in a red wine/honey marinade to become pretty piquant pickles. So what are you waiting for? To the kitchen!

Jet lag, I salute you for this recipe.

Pickled Strawberry Ice Cream Sauce
 
This sweet-tart strawberry sauce has just a little bite at the end, making it the perfect partner for ice cream, whipped cream, and creamy cheeses.
Ingredients
  • 1 lb strawberries, cored
  • ½ cup red wine vinegar
  • ¼ honey + 1 tablespoon
  • 6 peppercorns
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
  1. Heat vinegar, ¼ cup honey, peppercorns, and vanilla on stove, stirring until honey is dissolved. Let cool to room temperature.
  2. Slice larger berries in halves or quarters and leave smaller berries whole.
  3. Pour vinegar mixture over berries. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
  4. Strain strawberries and reserve vinegar mixture.
  5. Heat strawberries, ¼ cup vinegar mixture*, and 1 tablespoon honey in small pot over low heat for 10-20 minutes or until you are happy with the consistency.
Notes
*If you prefer a sweeter sauce, you may want to substitute ¼ water for the vinegar mixture when heating the sauce.