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Skrei cod with a miso glaze – and how to buy sustainable cod

by Jeanne Horak on May 15, 2013 8 Comments in Dairy-free, Gluten-free, Main course - seafood

CodMisoTitle © J Horak-Druiff 2013

“So you’re a food blogger then?  Ok, so what’s your signature dish?”  It’s a question I dread, and one that I do not have an answer to.  It is part of the (totally erroneous) assumption that food bloggers cook only lark’s tongues lightly sautéed in truffle butter and garnished with pure gold leaf. People read my blog and then ask me “but do you ever cook normal food?”, as if an oven chip or a ready-meal has never darkened my door (hint:  they have!). And part of that is assuming that if I cook, I must somehow have a signature dish as surely as I have a written signature.

Ah, the signature dish.  A recipe that is so distinctive and uniquely associated with a single chef or restaurant that any gastronome worth their salt would be able to identify the chef or restaurant from a blind tasting of the dish. Think, for example, of Sachertorte by the Hotel Sacher; meat fruit (Heston Blumenthal’s fruit-shaped chicken liver paté creation); Spuntino’s truffled egg toast; or Fergus Henderson’s roasted bone marrow salad.  These are the dishes for which these chefs or restaurants will be remembered, for better or worse, and the dishes that you will have heard of even if you’ve never set foot in their restaurant or city. I suspect that some chefs end up in a love-hate relationship with their signature dish, much like a pop star who ends up loathing their first hit single that crowds still beg for, despite years of more accomplished or serious music that followed. Michel Roux famously removed his signature soufflé Suissesse from the Le Gavroche menu, only to be forced by customer demand to put it back.

 

Skrei cod © J Horak-Druiff 2013

 

One of the more recognisable signature dishes of recent years has to be Nobu’s black cod miso.  Like many signature dishes, it is deceptively simple: a miso-based dressing; a grill;  then a roast and you’re done.  But having tried the dish in at least two of Nobu’s outposts around the world, I can vouch for the fact that the end result is nothing short of sublime, and a very fitting dish to be named as Nobu’s signature dish – apart from the teensy issue of sustainability.  Nobu has famously received publicity of the wrong kind over its continued serving of endangered bluefin tuna; and nowadays even cod is a fish that should not be lightly ordered by those wishing to eat sustainably. In 2000, cod stocks in the North Sea were found to be so low that the WWF placed cod on its endangered species list, citing the example of the Canadian Grand Banks cod stocks that went into terminal decline in the early 1990s and has never fully recovered.

So what can environmentally conscious diners do now that Britain’s favourite white fish is in danger of disappearing off the menu forever? The bad news is that there is no Marine Stewardship Council-approved cod available caught in British waters.  The good news is that cod caught in the waters of Norway, Iceland and the Baltic Sea are MSC certified as sustainable; and here’s why, courtesy of a nifty infographic on buying sustainable cod created by Great British Chefs. (Scroll to the bottom of the infographic for my cod miso recipe.)

 

How to buy sustainable cod

As it turns out, the black cod that Nobu uses in their signature dish is not a true cod at all, but rather sablefish or butterfish – and thankfully it is not regarded as endangered.  But as mentioned in my previous post on blackened Cajun cod with a creamy avocado dressing, I was recently sent some sustainable Norwegian Skrei cod to try and decided to try Nobu’s signature dish with real cod.  Skrei is a special grading of migratory cod species, only available between January and April, once their migration has made the cod’s  flesh exceptionally firm, white and supple.  It is a beautiful fish with a glistening, speckled skin and thick, juicy flakes of translucent flesh, separated by distinct layers of fat.   The recipe was super-simple, but probably did not benefit from my lack of grill, lack of wood-burning oven to impart smoky flavours, and Skrei’s texture that flakes extra-easily – it was a battle to get the fish blackened without having the flakes gently slide apart! But all that aside, this was a plate of simple heaven.  The fish has an unctuous texture that I have likened to a pescatarian version of Wagyu beef; and the sweet, umami-rich glaze adds zing to the rich, creamy flesh without dominating.  Served with steamed asparagus, it’s the kind of signature dish anybody would be proud of. Do you have a signature dish and if so, what is it?

Fishy recipes from fellow bloggers include:

  • Michelle’s healthy baked cod in a Parmesan crust 
  • Margot’s easy cod roe burgers
  • Sarah’s pesto fish bake

 

 

 

CodMisoFinal © J Horak-Druiff 2013

 

Skrei cod with a miso glaze
 
Print
Prep time
24 hours
Cook time
20 mins
Total time
24 hours 20 mins
 
This Nobu signature dish is relatively easy to make and yields great results. Use any firm flaky fish, such as sustainable cod, butterfish or salmon.
Author: Jeanne Horak-Druiff (from the Nobu cookbook)
Recipe type: Fish
Cuisine: Japanese
Serves: 2
Ingredients
  • 2 cod loins (about 450g)
  • 40ml mirin
  • 40ml sake
  • 25ml light soy sauce
  • 120ml white miso paste (NB - must be white miso!)
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • vegetable oil for grilling
Instructions
  1. In a small saucepan, bring the mirin, sake and soy to a boil. Whisk in the miso until it has dissolved, then add the sugar and cook over moderate heat until just dissolved, whisking all the time. Allow to cool.
  2. Rinse the fish and pat dry with paper towels. Place the fish in a sealable plastic bag, add the marinade and squeeze out as much air as possible before sealing. Refrigerate and allow to marinate at least overnight but up to 3 days, turning bag occasionally.
  3. Preheat oven to 200C. Also heat up an indoor grill or cast iron pan, lightly brushed with oil.
  4. Remove the fish from the marinade, and wipe any excess marinade off with your fingers - but do not rinse. Place the fish on the hot grill or pan and lightly grill on both sides until the surface turns brown. Then transfer the fish to a lightly oiled baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes.
  5. In the meantime, decant the marinade into a small saucepan and reduce over medium heat to serve with the fish. Serve with grilled asparagus or purple sprouting broccoli.
Wordpress Recipe Plugin by EasyRecipe
3.2.1230

 

DISCLOSURE:  I received free samples of Skrei for review purposes from the Norwegian Seafood Council, but I received no further remuneration for writing this post and all opinions are my own. 

More deliciousness for you!

  • Aubergine dengaku with miso and mozzarella from “Nikkei Cuisine”Aubergine dengaku with miso and mozzarella from “Nikkei Cuisine”
  • Miso-roasted French beans and cherry tomatoesMiso-roasted French beans and cherry tomatoes
  • Pan-fried fish fillets with capers on pesto mashPan-fried fish fillets with capers on pesto mash
  • Tomato saffron fish stew with anchovy pesto – for those needing comfortTomato saffron fish stew with anchovy pesto – for those needing comfort

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  1. Robin O says

    May 16, 2013 at 12:24 am

    This is great information Jeanne! I have been getting regular shares of sable fish from my local community supported fishery here in California and will love to try out this Nobu miso version. Tonight I am having mine grilled after marinating in a Jamaican Jerk style sauce. We’ll see how it fares.

    Reply
  2. Kit says

    May 16, 2013 at 9:31 am

    Good to know that’s there’s a chance of cod stocks recovering still.
    And signature dishes… I agree, nobody wants to get stuck with just one dish that has to say it all about them. It’s like having just one outfit to wear when you go out. Not that my wardrobe is bursting with LBDs but hey!

    Reply
  3. Simone says

    May 16, 2013 at 4:43 pm

    Thanks so much Jeanne. I didn’t even know that Cod was on the endangered list… I do feel that more and more great fish are just hard to get or such a bad choice that I’d rather not, but I really thought cod was ok… 🙁
    As for that signature dish; I don’t have one either! I like to many dishes so why pick one..?

    Reply
  4. Asha@FSK says

    May 16, 2013 at 5:26 pm

    I totally relate to that question and the complete blankness my face takes one while I scramble in my mind to name some dish, any dish just to get past that awkward moment without the cliched “Oh! you know.. there are so many….!” LOL

    And, I do think that miso-cod dish is a signature of Nobu and simply sublime! :)))

    Hmm.. I haven’t eaten cod in ages and I am pretty afraid these days to get anything in the US for want of real and truthful information 🙁

    Reply
  5. Rosa says

    May 16, 2013 at 6:38 pm

    A wonderful way of prepared cod! Simplicity rules when quality products are used…

    I don’t have one single signature dish, but many (or rather a personal way of preparing food).

    Cheers,

    Rosa

    Reply
  6. Lisa the Gourmet Wog says

    May 17, 2013 at 10:22 am

    Thank you for the cod lession, that was certainly very interesting!
    Great recipe too 🙂

    Reply
  7. Andrew says

    May 18, 2013 at 4:46 pm

    I’ve always been put off buying fish – any fish – because of the sustainability issues. So thanks for the info graphic on which fish I can buy!

    Love the photos btw

    Reply
  8. Jamie says

    May 20, 2013 at 2:23 pm

    I think I hate the concept of “sugnature dish” as much as I hate the concept of “trend”. Do any of us want to be know for only one thing? And a food blogger? Well, I know some bloggers that hang on to signature whatever in order to hold onto their fame, glory and audience for fear of letting go, dear of trying something new and failing. What makes a blogger or a chef great is when they can do most whatever they love to do and be lauded for it – and be known for their originality and creativity, non? But being know for using fresh, local, sustainable foodstuff is something definitely to be proud of. Great post, Jeanne, and fabulous fish – simple yet can imagie how beautiful the glaze made the fish.

    Reply
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Jeanne Horak is a freelance food and travel writer; recipe developer and photographer. South African by birth and Londoner by choice, Jeanne has been writing about food and travel on Cooksister since 2004. She is a popular speaker on food photography and writing has also contributed articles, recipes and photos to a number of online and print publications. Jeanne has also worked with a number of destination marketers to promote their city or region. Please get in touch to work with her Read More…

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