RECIPES | Miso marinated fish has been a signature dish of chef Nobu Matsuhisa since 1987 and, having just returned from Japan with a jar of perilla miso in tow, I was keen to try making my own version at home. It’s a very tasty dish that’s healthy and full of umami thanks to the combination of caramelisation and the fermented soy goodness that is miso.
Preparation Time: 10 minutes / Cooking Time: 5 minutes / Serves 4
Ingredients
- 15ml light soy sauce
- 200ml topaque
- 50ml mirin
- 5g caster sugar
- 20g miso paste
- 600g dense white fish (e.g. cod, rockling)
- 340g white Japanese rice
Method
- Combine the soy sauce, mirin, and caster sugar into a small saucepan. Heat until combined, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in the miso paste.
- Place the mixture into a small bowl or container and allow to cool.
- Add the fish into the container. Make sure all pieces of fish are coated with the marinade.
- Allow the fish to marinate for at least 2 hours.
- Add the fish into the container. Make sure all pieces of fish are coated with the marinade.
- Heat some charcoals in a charcoal box, or a gas grill until it’s very hot. Place the fish onto a wire rack lined with foil and place atop the charcoal box/grill. Allow to cook for about 5 minutes, until the exterior of the fish has started to caramelise.
- Serve the fish with the rice, the cooking of which you should time so that it’s ready when the fish is.
Notes
If you can’t grill the fish, you can always cook it in a non-stick frying pan, with any leftover marinade poured into the pan, but you won’t get that beautifully caramelised exterior. It still tastes good though. Note that you’ll have to cook the fish for longer if it’s on the frying pan. Anywhere from 7-15 minutes depending on the thickness of the fish.