Miso Black Cod Recipe Recipe
Nobu's miso black cod recipe, made with mirin, sake, white miso paste, and brown sugar. Adapted from Nobu's Cookbook. Allow 24 hours of marination time for the best flavor.
How to Make the Best Miso Black Cod Recipe
Miso Black Cod is an elegant yet surprisingly simple dish inspired by the world-famous recipe from renowned chef Nobu Matsuhisa. This Japanese-influenced dish showcases delicate black cod fillets glazed with a rich miso marinade that combines mirin, sake, white miso paste, and brown sugar. The key to this recipe’s success is patience – allowing the fish to marinate for at least 24 hours (up to 3 days) allows the flavors to penetrate deeply, creating a savory-sweet exterior when seared and finished in the oven.
The cooking technique is straightforward but important: searing the fish skin-side down in a hot skillet creates a crispy, golden exterior, while the gentle heat of the oven ensures the flesh stays tender and moist. The 8-10 minute finish in a 400° oven brings everything together perfectly, rendering the skin crackling while keeping the interior flaky and succulent.
Finished with toasted sesame seeds and fresh chives, this restaurant-quality dish is surprisingly achievable at home and makes an impressive presentation for any occasion. It pairs beautifully with steamed rice and roasted vegetables, and the subtle umami notes from the miso make it a sophisticated choice for both weeknight dinners and special entertaining.
Miso Black Cod Recipe
Nobu's miso black cod recipe, made with mirin, sake, white miso paste, and brown sugar. Adapted from Nobu's Cookbook. Allow 24 hours of marination time for the best flavor.
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
Garnish
Instructions
Marinade Preparation
- In a small saucepan, heat the sake and simmer 30 seconds to cook off the alcohol. Whisk in the mirin and brown sugar until sugar is dissolved. Whisk in the miso paste, whisking until completely smooth.
- Transfer the marinade to a medium-sized baking dish and let cool (reserve 2 tablespoons of marinade in a separate small bowl if you want to make the miso aioli). Add the black cod fillets to a baking dish, pour the marinade over top, cover, and refrigerate 24 hours, or up to 3 days.
Cooking
- Preheat the oven to 400° (or use the broiler). Heat a little salted oil in a large oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Gently brush off any marinade from the skin side of the fish. Place the fish, skin side down, in the skillet and sear until golden and crispy, about 3 minutes.
- Spoon a little marinade over the top of the fish, season with salt, then place the fish in the oven to finish baking for 8-10 minutes, until flaky and golden.
- Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and chives.
