Fish baked in miso is quintessentially Japanese, but I first learned about it years ago from the very American James Beard. Miso marries well with oily fish like salmon, mackerel or black cod, but mild firm-fleshed fish like sea bass or halibut also make fine candidates. Simply coat fish fillets or steaks with a mixture of miso, sake, mirin and a little ginger. An egg yolk may be added to help burnish and glaze the fish under the broiler. Serve with a pile of wilted greens dabbed with sesame oil.
Ingredients
- 1 ½pounds sea bass, mackerel or cod, skin off, and cut into a dozen 2-ounce slices
- 1tablespoon white miso
- 1tablespoon red miso
- 1tablespoon sake
- 1tablespoon mirin
- 2teaspoons soy sauce
- 2teaspoons grated ginger
- 1tablespoon sugar
- 2egg yolks
- Salt
- 1pound tender mustard greens or spinach, stemmed and washed
- 1teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- Pickled ginger, for garnish
- Nutritional Information
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
260 calories; 6 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 1 gram monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 11 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 5 grams sugars; 36 grams protein; 115 milligrams cholesterol; 611 milligrams sodium
Note: Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available data.
4 servings
Preparation
- Lay fish slices in a shallow glass or earthenware baking dish. Put white and red miso, sake, mirin, soy sauce, ginger and sugar in a small bowl and stir well.
- Dot half the miso mixture evenly over fish, then rub with fingers to lightly coat slices. Leave to marinate 10 to 15 minutes. Heat oven to 400 degrees.
- Beat egg yolks into remaining miso mixture. With a spoon, smear tops of fish slices with this egg-enriched mixture. Bake on top shelf of oven for 6 to 8 minutes, until fish is firm, then place pan under broiler to glaze. Broil 1 to 2 minutes until topping begins to brown. With a spatula, transfer fish to serving platter.
- Meanwhile, bring 4 cups well-salted water to a boil in a wide stainless steel skillet. Add mustard greens and cook until wilted, about 1 minute. Drain in colander, rinse briefly with cold water, then press out excess water with wooden spoon. Transfer to serving dish. Drizzle with sesame oil and garnish with thin slices of pickled ginger.
30 minutes
Dining and Cooking