There are certain dishes that are foolproof and just right. These dish have that magical combination of ingredients that really don’t need to be (and arguable can’t) be improved. They are already perfect. I believe this Nobu black cod recipe just might be one of them.
I saw “sablefish” in the frozen section of Trader Joe’s the other day. Sablefish (also called “black cod” or “butterfish”), is a buttery, high fat white-fleshed fish that can be found in the Pacific Ocean, both near Alaska and also the US Pacific Northwest.
Sablefish is very nutritious, having about the same amount of omega-3 fatty acids as salmon. It’s a rich, fatty fish which seems to “melt in your mouth” like butter, thus the nickname “butterfish.”
I love this simple yet super flavorful recipe from Nobu’s cookbook. This rich fish picks up tons of umami from the magical combination of miso, sake, and mirin. It’s foolproof, super easy, and tastes fantastic every single time. 
Heat shiro miso (white miso paste) together with sake, mirin, and sugar in a saucepan until everything is melted. Marinate the black cod overnight (you don’t have to use a vacuum bag, but I like to maximize the amount of fish that “fits” with a certain amount of marinade, and I find I can save on marinade if I use the bag).
The next day, try to remove as much marinade as possible from the fish (I wiped it off with my fingers). Then simply sear the fish on a hot cast iron skillet until nicely browned (2 minutes), and then finish in a 400 °F oven for about 10 minutes, or until flaky and done. You can use the broiler instead if you don’t want to sear.
Serve!
This recipe is forgiving of mistakes and it can still tastes pretty good despite minor mishaps. The first time I made it, my oven wasn’t nearly hot enough, so my “broiled” fish became more like a steamed fish. It looked awful, but it still tasted pretty good. The marinade speaks for itself. Also, sablefish is pretty rich, so you can overcook it a bit and it won’t taste completely dried out. In other words, if I want something easy that’s reasonably foolproof, this isn’t a bad dish to make!
Enjoy!
Nobu Miso Black Cod
Source: Food and Wine from Nobu Matsuhisa
1/4 cup mirin
1/4 cup sake
4 T white miso paste
3 T sugar
Bring mirin and sake to a boil. Add white miso paste and mix until smooth. Add sugar and heat until melted. Let cool. Combine with black cod and place in a vacuum bag or a baking dish, making sure the fish is completely covered. Let marinate in the refrigerator overnight.
Preheat oven to 400 °F. Heat up a cast-iron skillet (or grill pan) and briefly sear the fish until it is browned (about 2 minutes). Cook in the oven until flaky, about 10 minutes.
Serve!
And it’s not too late to vote for my lamb recipe here! We’re getting down to the wire, with only a few days left for voting. If you haven’t voted yet, please stop by. No registration or anything necessarily – just click and vote!
Have a great day!
All Rights Reserved
I’ve seen lots of recipes for the nobu miso cod… I never actually looked at them as much as this one because your pictures are just nicer lol. I have to give this a try whenever I can find some sablefish or another type of “cod”
I love this dish, but haven’t made it in years! Would be good to do soon–it’s end of summer here (Sydney), what other types of sides would be good? I’m thinking cold noodles and dressed cucumbers?
That looks beautiful! I didn’t realise black cod was the same as butterfish (which is widely available where I live). I’ll have to give this a go at home. 🙂
I had no idea black cod was available at Trader Joe’s! The first (and only) time I had it was at a restaurant in California and I still remember how great it was. I’ll have to keep an eye out for it around here because I’d love to try this recipe.
Hello. I really love your blog. And I’m reading all about your trip to Beijing in earlier entries. You make me want to go there! And I will someday.
Nobu’s Black Cod dish is called saikyo tsuke in Japan. This is often made at home in Japan, but you can buy the fish already marinated at your favorite fishmongers as well.
They usually don’t cook the marinade as you suggest in the recipe. It’s just mixed together. Also some people like to put a layer of cheesecloth between the marinate & the fish so that it’s easier to clean the fish off. But it’s not really necessary.
Also, most Japanese housewives would marinate the fish 2.5 to 3 days in a covered container, but no more than that. After 3 days the fish will start getting too salty and tough. Of course, it’s kept in the refrigerator during that time.
Japanese also do salmon or shrimp, many other kinds of white meat fish. And if you do it in a separate container, you can do pork or beef as well. A raw pork chop or a slice of beef can be marinated in the same way. In a covered container in the refrigerator. There are lots of natural sugars in the marinade, and you have to be very careful cooking it or otherwise it will scorch.
I followed this to a T, and it was extremely sweet tasting… was expecting it to be more miso-y.