Misoyaki Butterfish (black cod)

The magic is in the Misoyaki sauce. Once you know how to make it you will be marinating everything in it.

One of the things that I miss about living in Hawaii is the ease of going to almost any grocery store and picking up a piece of marinated miso butterfish. In Oregon I either make it myself (when I can find the fish) or not have it at all. And if you know me, not having it at all is never a good option.

 

The first thing that I needed to do was find a source for the fish, because no one seemed to know what butterfish was. With a little research and the help of my local fishmonger I found the fish. The actual name is black cod or sablefish and the confusion came because in Hawaii we call this fish butterfish due to its buttery flavor and texture. It was funny that I was looking for a fish by its description rather than its name.

If you live in a place where you can get a pre-marinated piece of butterfish this is almost an instant meal. However, if you can't like me. It will take a little planning and patience, 2-3 days in the fridge before you can enjoy your butterfish.

Black cod is my first choice for steaming, but salmon can be a good substitute.

STEAMED MISOYAKI BUTTERFISH

1/2 pound misoyaki butterfish (see recipe below)
1 1/2 tsp. oil
1 slice ginger, slivered into strips
1 sprig green onion, sliced into strips
1/4 tsp. sugar

Rinse miso off the fish and scale skin with the side of a spoon if needed.

Lightly oil the bowl that you will be steaming in with ½ tsp. oil, so the fish won’t stick.

Place the rinsed butterfish in the oiled bowl skin side down and drizzle with 1 tsp. oil.

Top with ginger and green onions. And sprinkle with sugar.

Steam for 10 min. on high.

MISOYAKI sauce is not just for butterfish. This is a wonderful marinade for other seafood like salmon, shrimp or scallops and it is also great for chicken thighs.

MISOYAKI SAUCE  this recipe is enough for 2-3 pounds of fish or chicken

1/4 cup sake
1/4 cup mirin
1/4 cup white miso
3 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. ginger, minced fine (optional)

Mix ingredients together well with a whisk in a med sauce pot and place over high heat stirring constantly until the sugar has completely dissolved. Let cool to room temperature.

Dry your fish with a paper towel and marinate for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.

NOTES:

• If you are not up for steamed (my favorite) it can be baked, broiled, pan fried or cooked on the bbq.
• To cook in a frying pan - cook over high heat for about 2-3 min. per side (depending on the size) to char. Then cover with a lid; turn off heat and let sit for about 5-8 min. to finish cooking with the residual heat from the hot pan.
• Should you rinse off the miso marinade or just wipe it off? It is truly up to you, each method will give you different results. Rising removes some of the saltiness and will prevent the fish from blackening when cooked. However, if you just wipe off the marinade the opposite will occur and it will give a whole different flavor profile with bits of char and saltiness. example: when I steam I rinse and when I make chicken thighs I don't rinse or wipe the marinade off.