White Miso Black Cod

To make the miso marinade, in a small saucepan, bring the Mirin (3 Tbsp) and Sake (3 Tbsp) to a boil. Whisk in the White Miso Paste (1/3 cup) until dissolved. Add the Granulated Sugar (5 Tbsp) and cook over moderate heat, whisking, just until dissolved.

Transfer the marinade to a large baking dish and let cool, and reserve 2 tablespoons in a separate small bowl if wanting to make the miso aioli. Add the Black Cod (6) to the marinade and turn to coat.

Cover and refrigerate overnight or at least for 1 to 2 hours. The longer the better.

To make the pickled daikon, bring Rice Vinegar (1/2 cup), Water (1/2 cup), Granulated Sugar (1/3 cup), Daikon Radish (1 cup), and Kosher Salt (1 tsp) all to a simmer, until sugar dissolves, remove from heat and chill.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

Heat a little oil in a heavy bottom skillet over medium high heat. Wipe the marinade off the fish, but don’t rinse. Place the fish, skin side up, in the skillet and sear until golden and caramelized, about 2 to 3 minutes.

Turn over, and crisp up the skin, 2 to 3 minutes.

Place in the oven to finish roasting for 8 to 10 minutes, until flaky.

To make the miso aioli, mix the Marinade (2 Tbsp), Mayonnaise (2 Tbsp) and Rice Vinegar (1/4 tsp) in a small bowl. Add Sriracha (to taste) if you like spicy and set aside.

Heat a little Oil (as needed) in a heavy bottom skillet, over medium- high heat. Sauté Onion (1/4 cup) until just tender, about 2 to 3 minutes. Turn heat to medium and add Kale (2 cups).

Stir and let it wilt, 3-5 minutes. Splash with a little Sake (to taste), let it burn off, and season with Salt (to taste) and Ground Black Pepper (to taste).

Plating doesn’t have to be intimidating. Have a plan. Do a practice plate. For this presentation, simply brush the miso aioli across the plate, either in the middle or to one side. Place the daikon along the line.

Then fill in with little nests of braised kale-twirl it on a fork like you would pasta-staggered, then pieces of the black cod-it will naturally flake and fall apart. You could serve this with a side of rice, or sautéed mushrooms.