A classic Japanese dish, Black Cod with Miso (or simply Miso Cod 銀だらの西京焼き), is served at many formal Japanese restaurants. You may have heard of the dish after it’s made famous worldwide by the acclaimed fine Japanese restaurant chain Nobu. Luckily, the miso-glazed black cod recipe is simple enough that you can enjoy this wonderfully seasoned fish at home.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
It requires only a few simple ingredients. I also provided substitutes (see my Recipe Card) on how to prepare the recipe using other types of fish.Super fast for an elegant main dish. While the marination requires a minimum of 2 days, the actual prep time takes only 10 mins and the cook time in the oven 20 mins. All in all, a fuss-free recipe!Prep-friendly! After marination, you can individually wrap the fish and store it in a freezer bag for up to 2-3 weeks. When ready to cook, just defrost it in the fridge. Perfect for the holiday season.
Best Type of Miso Paste for Miso Cod
To enjoy the succulent texture, we prepare the fish by marinating it in sweet miso for at least 2-3 days until the sweet & salty flavor is completely absorbed before it is cooked. Traditionally, the fish fillet is soaked in the marinade for up to 5-7 days. In Japan, we refer this marinade as saikyozuke (西京漬け), and once it’s grilled, it’s saikyo yaki (西京焼き). Saikyo in Japanese refers to “West City”, which is the former name for Kyoto. This specific cooking method is named saikyo because the recipe utilizes saikyo miso (sweet white miso) originated from the Kyoto area. The traditional saikyo yaki recipes include just three ingredients: Saikyo miso, mirin, and sake. The sharpness of the miso and sweetness of the mirin work wonderfully to cut the fish’s fattiness. When it’s baked to perfection, the deep flavor of the marinade comes through and the buttery flesh simply melts in your mouth. It’s so good that my young children can easily finish one fillet of the fish on their own.
Substitute for Saikyo Miso
If you want to learn more about different types of miso, click here.
Quick Notes on Black Cod (Sablefish)
It’s easy to mistake black cod as another type of cod, but black cod is actually not a member of the cod family at all! The actual name is sablefish (gindara 銀ダラ) or butterfish, but it is commonly referred as black cod because of its similar appearance to cod. Black cod (sablefish) is known for its silky and tender rich texture and flavor. High in omega-3 fats and quality protein, it is the preferred fish choice since it doesn’t have the strong taste of fatty fish like tuna or mackerel. The creamy white flesh pairs extremely well with miso paste that is sweet, savory and salty. In fact, black cod with miso marinade is probably one of the most popular preparations for the fish.
Where to Buy Black Cod
I usually buy black cod from my local Japanese supermarket in the fresh fish section. In the US, you can also find sustainable caught Alaskan black cod from online seafood companies. It’s rather pricey but it is still a much better deal to enjoy the fish at home than ordering at a fancy restaurant.
Other Fish Choices Besides “Black Cod”
If you couldn’t find sablefish, you can also use other fish to enjoy with the versatile miso marinade. I like alternating between black cod, sea bass, or salmon and my family enjoy them equally.
Baking vs. Broiling Fish
Although I use a broiler in my oven to cook different types of fish often (including miso cod and Japanese thin-sliced fish fillets), I recommend baking this miso cod especially if you have never tried the broiling method for black cod before. Miso burns really easily. You can’t avoid burning miso completely; however, you can minimize the burns by removing the marinade and baking this fish. Here I summarized the difference between broiling and baking fish, and which type of fish is suitable for broiling or baking for your future reference.
Broiling
When you broil fish, the infrared energy from the heating element cooks the fish that’s placed closer to the broiler at the top of your oven. Broiling is a much faster cooking method and the fish will brown beautifully, but it burns miso, fresh herbs, and many other garnishes and requires constant attention. When broiling, you don’t control the temperature in the oven; instead, you control the distance between the broiler and the surface of the food. It’s similar to using hotter and cooler zones on your grill.
Baking
When you bake fish, the hot air cooks the fish. The heat is carried through your oven by slow-moving natural currents of hot air, which is why baking takes a relatively long time to cook. But it can be relaxing as you do not need to constantly pay attention.
Choose Baking or Broiling Based on the Type of Fish
Fatty fish (such as salmon, mackerel, and swordfish) can be baked or broiled at higher temperatures, ranging from 425ºF (baked) to 550ºF or 550ºF (broiler).Moderately lean fish (such as cod and haddock) should be brushed with oil and broiled.Whole fish, large fillets, or lean and fragile fish (such as sole) should be baked at temperatures 425ºF to preserve their moisture and delicate texture and avoid broiling because it’ll be overcooked too fast.
What to Serve with Miso Cod
Miso black cod makes an impressive main dish to serve as part of a classic Japanese ichiju sansai style dinner, especially on a special occasion or during the holiday. Prep it ahead, bake in the oven, and dinner is ready. Easy but no lack of elegance. We would serve it with steamed rice, a side of green, and a simple soup. Here are some recipes that pair well with this beautiful dish:
21 Popular Japanese Vegetable DishesChrysanthemum Greens and Tofu SaladSimmered Fried Tofu and GreensClassic Miso SoupVegetable Miso Soup
Wish to learn more about Japanese cooking? Sign up for our free newsletter to receive cooking tips & recipe updates! And stay in touch with me on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, and Instagram. Editor’s Note: The post is originally published on Sep 21, 2011. The photos and content were updated in November 2013 and July 2017. The video and new step by step pictures were added in August 2018.
