from Nobu Matsuhisa, Tokyo → Los Angeles
Black Cod Miso
Nobu's mahogany-lacquered signature — a three-day marinade in twenty minutes of cook time
a note before you start
Silky, sweet, faintly smoky. The trick isn't the fish — it's the patience. Marinate 72 hours; every extra hour deepens the perfume.
the market
Grocery
list.
Quantities scale live as you change the servings dial (bottom right).
- 014 pcs (5oz)Black cod (sablefish) fillets, skin on
- 02¾ cupSake
- 03¾ cupMirin
- 041 cupWhite (shiro) miso paste
- 05½ cupGranulated sugar
- 064 pcsHajikami (pickled ginger shoots) or pickled ginger, to garnish
now, the cooking
One step at a time.
Step 1 of 6· 3 min
Burn off the alcohol
Bring sake and mirin to a boil in a saucepan. Let it bubble hard for 20 seconds — this is critical, or the miso will taste raw.
Step 2 of 6· 5 min
Whisk the den miso
Lower the heat. Whisk in miso until fully dissolved and glossy. Raise heat again, add sugar, and stir constantly until it dissolves. Do not let it scorch.
Step 3 of 6· 30 min
Cool completely
Pour into a shallow container. Cool to room temp — never marinate warm fish. Warm marinade cooks the surface.
Step 4 of 6· 4320 min
Marinate 3 days
Pat cod dry. Slather generously with the miso on all sides. Cover and refrigerate 2 to 3 days. Yes, three. Nobu insists.
Step 5 of 6· 8 min
Wipe & broil
Wipe excess miso off (leave a thin film — too much will burn). Set oven rack 6 inches from broiler. Broil fillets skin-side down 6-8 minutes until top is deeply caramelized, almost blackened at the edges.
Step 6 of 6· 2 min
Serve
Plate on a small pool of any remaining reduced marinade. Rest a pickled ginger shoot alongside. Eat while the caramelized crust still shatters.
chef’s tip
“Sablefish is the classic, but the technique works with salmon, halibut, or even chicken thighs. The miso does the heavy lifting.”
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The exact bottles and boxes we’d reach for while cooking this dish. Nothing generic — just what actually works.