Miso-marinated black cod sears to caramelised perfection. Wild rice salad mixes crisp cucumber, radish and edamame. Tangy sesame-wasabi dressing brings it together. Clean Japanese flavours.
Prep: overnight
Cook: 10 to 30 mins
Serves: Serves 2
Dietary: Dairy-free, Egg-free, Nut-free
By Matt TebbuttFrom Saturday Kitchen Recipes
Black cod with wild rice salad scores Nutri-Score B.
Per serving: 520 kcal, 22g fat (4g saturated), 38g carbs (12g sugars), 6g fibre, 38g protein.
Ingredients
For the cod
- 50ml/2fl oz sake
- 50ml/2fl oz mirin
- 50g/1¾oz white miso paste
- 3 tbsp granulated sugar
- 2 x 250g/9oz cod, preferably thick cut
For the dressing
- 3 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp runny honey
- ½ tsp very finely chopped fresh root ginger
- ½ tsp wasabi
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 2 tsp sesame seeds, toasted
For the wild rice salad
- 50g/1¾oz cooked wild rice
- 100g/3½oz cooked sushi rice
- ¼ cucumber, chopped
- 4 radishes, sliced
- 4 spring onions, chopped
- 100g/3½oz edamame beans, blanched
- 5 sheets nori seaweed, toasted and shredded
- ½ avocado, sliced, to serve
Customise
- Swap cod for salmon if you prefer richer flavour.
- Use brown rice instead of wild rice for nuttier texture.
- Mild wasabi or English mustard works if wasabi too fierce.
Method
Marinade (2-3 days ahead)
- Boil the sake and mirin together in a small saucepan until it just starts bubbling. Take it off the heat right away and whisk in the white miso paste and granulated sugar until everything dissolves completely smooth. Let this cool down fully – it’ll thicken up nicely.
- Coat your cod fillets generously with the cooled miso marinade. Get it into every bit of the fish. Pop them into a sealed bag or container and stick in the fridge for 2-3 days. This long marinade makes all the difference – tender, caramelised magic happens.
Cook Cod (15 mins active)
- Preheat your oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6. Take the cod out and scrape off most of the excess marinade – leave just a thin coating for flavour.
- Get a frying pan screaming hot with a little oil. Sear the cod fillets on both sides for 2-3 minutes each. You want that beautiful caramelised crust forming.
- Transfer to roasting tin and finish in the oven for 6-8 minutes. The fish should flake easily when done. Let it rest while you make the salad.
Dressing & Salad (5 mins)
- Make the dressing by whisking together the rice wine vinegar, light soy sauce, runny honey, finely chopped ginger, wasabi, toasted sesame oil and sesame seeds in a jug. Give it a taste – add a touch more honey if you want it milder.
- Assemble the salad by tossing the cooked wild rice, cooked sushi rice, chopped cucumber, sliced radishes, chopped spring onions, blanched edamame beans and shredded nori seaweed together in a large bowl. Pour over the dressing and mix well so everything gets coated.
- Serve it up in wide bowls – rice salad as the base, flaked black cod on top, fanned avocado slices alongside. Drizzle any extra dressing over everything.