Japanese Miso Cod with Bok Choy & Mushrooms
Japanese miso cod with bok choy and mushrooms is quite a great meal. The fish becomes incredibly buttery soft and super flavored by the miso. It is umami at its best!
This classic miso cod recipe is cooked quite quickly and doesn’t need much work. It is very good even without long marinating, but you should marinate the fish the night before if you want it to be buttery soft.
- Servings For 4 people
Ingredients
For the fish:
- 75 ml (1/3 cup) white miso*
- 75 ml (1/3 cup) sake
- 75 ml (1/3 cup) mirin
- 15 ml (1 tablespoon) granulated sugar, or to taste
- 600-800 g (1.3-1.7 pounds) cod fillets or pieces
- Vegetable oil, for greasing pan
For the vegetables and garnish:
- 15 ml (1 tablespoon) vegetable oil
- 2-3 baby bok choy, leaves separated but not chopped
- 150 grams (5 ounces) shiitake mushrooms, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, sliced
- 30 ml (2 tablespoons) soy sauce*
- Black sesame seeds, as needed
*If preparing a gluten-free meal, be sure to use gluten-free miso and soy sauce.
Preparation
- For the fish: In a small saucepan, combine the marinade ingredients. Place over low heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Place the fish in a container or sealable bag, add the cooled marinade, and refrigerate until needed, up to overnight.
2. Preheat oven to 200°C (392°F). Place the fish on an oiled baking sheet, top with the marinade, and bake until opaque and flaky, 20-25 minutes. While the fish is baking, prepare the vegetables.
3. For the vegetables: In a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil and fry the garlic very briefly. Add the bok choy and stir-fry briefly until it collapses. Add the mushrooms and soy sauce. If the mixture seems dry, add a small amount of water, bearing in mind that the vegetables will release water as they cook. Continue frying for 2-3 minutes, then remove from heat and keep warm.
4. To serve, arrange the vegetables on a warmed serving platter. Place the fish on top of the vegetables, being careful not to let it fall apart, as it is very soft. Garnish with black sesame seeds, and serve.
(I did not go with Kevin’s vegetable recipe, because they do not need more flavor, if you plate the fish on top of it, as I did. The fish needs to give all the flavor to this dish!)
Wilma Kleger
Wilma grew up in Switzerland, born to a Swiss father and an Italian mother. She married a Swiss and after living for one year in England they moved, 30 years ago, to Hong Kong. She has two grownup children, a son and a daughter. She is a craft teacher by profession, but soon cooking and baking took over. She has a food-blog, Pane-Bistecca.com, and gives cooking classes in Swiss and Italian cuisine in Hong Kong and the Philippines, where she is planning to move.
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