Miso Glazed Fish

The reason why I love living in New York City so much is because I can get the best food from any  type of cuisine at any time. My sister recently introduced me to this fabulous Japanese restaurant in the West Village that is serving up some super authentic yet innovative dishes every evening. One of our favorite dishes that they serve is their Miso Black Cod. One night I decided to surprise my big sis and make my own version of this flavorful fish. The marinade is super simple and tastes good on pretty much any white flaky fish or even salmon.  I even toss veggies in it and roast them until caramelized and tender. The salty, umami flavor or the miso paste (which is fermented soy beans), along with the sweet dark brown sugar and tangy Japanese cooking wine..hello heaven! Yea let me hear you say it "Oh Ive Got Room For More!"

Ingredients-

For the Glaze- Enough for about 1 Lb of Fish (enough for 2 people)

1. 2.5 Tablespoons White/Blond Miso Paste (I use low sodium. You can usually find it in the grocery store's refrigerated section)

2. 2.5 Tablespoons Dark Brown Sugar

3. 1 Large Clove of Garlic Minced

4. 1 Teaspoon Toasted Sesame Oil

5. 2 Tablespoons Mirin (Japanese cooking wine)

6. 1 Tablespoon Fresh Lime Juice

7. 1/5 Teaspoons Fresh Ginger (I grate it fresh on a microplane)

8. A pinch of Red Pepper Flakes

9. A dash of ground black pepper

Garnish- Toasted Sesame Seeds and Chopped Scallions

Fish-

I use fresh Cod filets or even fresh Atlantic Salmon.  Traditionally this is made with Cod. For this amount of marinade I buy 1 Lb of fish which will feed roughly 2 people.  You can even toss your vegetables like broccoli or diced Japanese eggplant in this marinade and roast them until tender.  This marinade brings so much flavor to just about any fish or veggie!

Steps-

1. Whisk together all the marinade ingredients in a bowl.

2. Place your fish in a ziplock bag or in a container and baste the filets with about 2-3 tablespoons of the marinade. Set the rest of the sauce aside.

3. Marinate the fish in the fridge for about 45 minutes, but no more than 1 hour. For the last 15 minutes remove the fish from the fridge, you don't want to start cooking it when it is ice cold.

4. Preheat your oven to 375F. Heat up an oven proof skillet or grill pan with low sides on medium heat. Put a small drizzle of olive oil on the pan to prevent the fish from sticking. Gently place the fish onto the hot pan. Allow the fish to get slightly charred and caramelized on one side.

5. Take the fish off the heat when you see the fish has caramelized on one side. Do not flip it it may fall apart if you are using cod. Baste the fish with as much of the remaining marinade as you can get on it. Then place the pan in the oven so the fish can cook through. It should only take about 5-6 minutes. Just make sure the fish is flaky and not cold or raw in the center.

6. Sprinkle some toasted sesame seeds and scallions over the fish and serve with your favorite veggies, rice or whatever you'd like! I love to baste some eggplant in the same marinade and roast it until tender and golden. I also love to serve this with nice greens like sautéed garlic broccolini.