Miso is not something which I had ever tasted in my life before this past weekend. I have read about it and always wanted to try it . . . but it wasn't until I saw a recipe for a Miso Baked Cod in a recent issue of Delicious magazine that I was actually prompted to buy some, and I have to say . . . with all honesty I have fallen in love.
Miso is a Japanese ingredient/seasoning which is created by fermenting soybeans with salt and the fungus Aspergillus oryzae, known in Japanese as kōji, and sometimes rice or barley. The end result is a thick savoury paste which can then be used for other things such as marinades, dressings or soups. I have often heard of miso soup, but have never tried it.
It is high in protein and rich in vitamins and minerals, with a somewhat salty flavor . . . but this can vary according to the ingredients used and the fermentation process. I found it to be salty, and sort of sweet, almost fruity. I used Shiro (or white) Miso which is lighter in colour, and I have to say I found it to be very, very delicious. Even on it's own, before I mixed it with the other ingredients to create the finished paste that the cod was coated in prior to baking.
This was probably one of the most delicious fish dishes that I have ever eaten . . . the cod is cooked perfectly . . . fork tender and not dry. It cooks on a base of spring onion and chopped coriander (cilantro) with the miso mix spread over top of it.
It actually kind of steams in a foil package. The Miso coating is created with miso paste (of course) along with some Japanese Mirin Wine, light soy sauce, toasted sesame oil and ginger . . . the mix on it's own was gorgeous tasting, and it imparted a lovely flavor to the fish. The original recipe did not call for the roasting packet to be opened, but I chose to open it for the final part of the cook process so that it glazed the fish a tiny bit.
Altogether this was very lovely and it didn't use really unusual ingredients. You can buy them in the internation aisles of most good grocery shops. I did buy my miso paste through amazon, but I have since seen it in Tesco and Morrisons and larger Asda shops.
I confess that I am in love and am already planning ways that I can use the remainder of the Miso which I bought. I think it can also be frozen in dollops, which I will certainly do with some of it as well. In any case I do hope you will try this dish because it is quite simply . . . gorgeously tasty.
*Miso Baked Cod*Serves 2Printable Recipe
Low in fat and calories, high in flavor. I am in love.
2 TBS Shiro Miso Paste(I bought mine on Amazon)1 TBS Mirin (Japanese cooking wine,which you can find in the International food aisle)1 TBS light soy sauce1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil1 TBS grated fresh ginger2 sustainable cod fillets (about 150g each, 5 1/2 ounces)2 spring onions, finely slicedhandful of fresh coriander, chopped (cilantro)Finely chopped spring onion to garnish
Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6. Have a baking sheet ready.
Take two pieces of aluminum foil large enough each to hold one piece of fish and wrap up around it to close. Place them next to each other on the baking sheet. Place half of the spring onions on each along with half the coriander. Lay a fish fillet on top of each.
Whisk together the Miso paste, mirin, soy sauce, sesame oil and ginger. Spoon half of this mixture over each fillet. Bring the foil over top to enclose completely.
Bake in the preheated oven for 8 minutes. Open the foil to expose the fish and bake for 8 minutes longer, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork. Lift the fish out onto heated plates and garnish with finely chopped spring onion. Enjoy!
