Top Chefs Recipes: Nobuyuki Matsuhisa
BLACK COD WITH MISO
Photograph by Eiichi Takahashi, nobu by Shibata Publishing Co. Ltd
INGREDIENTS
4 black cod fillets, about 1/2 pound (230g) each
3 cups (800g) Nobu-style Saikyo Miso
1 stalk hajikami per serving (see below)
METHOD
1. Pat the fillets thoroughly dry with paper towels. Slather the fish with Nobu-style Saikyo Miso and place in a nonreactive dish or bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Leave to steep in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days.
2. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Preheat a grill or broiler. Lightly wipe off any excess miso clinging to the fillets but don't rinse it off. Place the fish on the grill, or in a broiler pan, and grill or broil unti the surface of the fish turns brown. Then bake for 10 to 15 minutes.
3. Arrange the black cod fillets on individual plates and garnish with hajikami. Add a few extra drops of Nobu-style Saikyo Miso to each plate.
Hajikami Ginger Pickled in Sweet Vinegar
Remove any sand and debris and cut the ginger into 6-inch (15-cm) lengths. Briefly plunge the ginger into a pot of boiling water to which rice vinegar has been added (1 Tbsp. per 1 quart/liter water). Drain and sprinkle thoroughly with sea salt. Let cool to room temperature. Leave for 12 hours to pickle in ama-zu which has been diluted 100% with water.