Brown Butter Miso Cod
Overnight miso cure caramelises under the grill into something impossibly savoury. One of those recipes that looks far more impressive than the effort deserves.
Method
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Whisk together the miso, mirin, sake and sugar. Coat the cod fillets all over, cover and refrigerate overnight — or at minimum 4 hours.
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When ready to cook, scrape off the excess marinade (it will burn). Heat your grill/broiler to maximum.
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Brown the butter in a small pan until nutty and amber. Keep warm.
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Place the cod on a lined tray and grill 6–8 minutes — no need to flip — until the surface is deeply caramelised and the fish flakes at the thickest point.
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Rest 2 minutes. Spoon the brown butter over the top, finish with spring onion.
Notes
White siso (shiro) is milder and sweeter than red. Don’t substitute — red miso will overwhelm the fish. The overnight cure is what makes this dish; don’t skip it.
Progressions
Pushed the char much further than felt comfortable — that bitterness against the salty butter is the whole dish.
Lovely but timid. Needs more colour, more marinade time. 24 hours is the minimum.
Thoughts & Summary
The caramelisation is the point — don't be afraid to let it go dark. The miso sugars need real heat to develop properly.