Miso Marinated Cod with Sesame Soba Noodles

The first time I had Miso was in soup at a sushi bar, which I’m sure is the case for a bunch of you guys. Then a few months later I ordered the miso-marinated cod, which is usually an appetizer at most sushi restaurants and I was blown away by how good it tasted. I knew I wanted to recreate the dish but in more healthy way because typically this marinade is made with sugar and several ounces of mirin, which has a high sugar content. So I hit up the kitchen to make a better alternative without using mirin or granulated sugar. I’m delighted with the outcome.

Recipe:

Serves 2

2 x 4-5 oz Black cod (Sablefish) or Pacific Cod portions (a.k.a. Alaska cod, grey cod, true cod or treska)

To see more about sustainable fish with links to some great resource sites, click HERE.

Marinade:

2 tbsp light yellow miso paste (you can use white )

1 tbsp rice wine vinegar

1 tsp toasted sesame oil

1 tsp Agave

pinch white pepper

dash cold water, if needed

DIRECTIONS:

Mix all the marinade ingredients in a bowl (except water). If the mixture is too thick and paste-like add in the cold water to smooth it out. Ideally you want a pancake batter type consistency.

Taste marinade for sweetness and if you like it a little sweeter add another drizzle of agave. Once done, add fish to miso and coat all sides, Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours but up to 6 if preferred.

Soba noodles are very familiar in Japanese cooking particularly in soups. Soba is a thin noodle made from Buckwheat flour unlike Udon noodles, which are thick and made with wheat flour. Both are used in a similar manner. Here I stir-fried the noodles with some asparagus, snow peas, zucchini and carrot and tossed them with some low-sodium Tamari (soy sauce) and sesame oil.

To cook fish:

Pre-heat broiler to high.

Remove fish from fridge 30 minutes before cooking to let return to room temperature. Lay on foiled oven tray and pop under broiler.

NOTE: Keep an eye on it. With the agave in the marinade the fish will caramelize easily so don’t put it in the broiler and go watch tv. It WILL burn!

Cook for 5-6 minutes until nicely golden on top and fork tender. If it starts to burn or brown too quickly lower the heat on broiler or pop in the oven for a few minutes to finish cooking.

Serve with stir-fried vegetable noodles.

TIP: Don’t have miso? Here’s an alternative idea I found, though I’ve never tried it. I prefer the real deal which you can find at Whole Foods or at most health food or specialty stores.

All recipes are made with the finest quality farmers market whole foods, natural and non-processed ingredients as much as possible.