Seafood Made Simple: This easy-to-make baked cod always impresses

Miso-baked cod with leeks. Picture: Chani Anderson

Nobu Matsuhisa is a trailblazing chef who moved to LA in 1987 and opened Matsuhisa, a small 38-seater restaurant that became a Hollywood hot spot. 

Here Nobu fused Japanese cuisine with Peruvian ingredients serving oysters spiked with salsas and sashimi with jalapenos and olive oil. 

In 1994 he opened the first Nobu in New York city with business partner Robert De Niro, who it appears can spot a great chef as well as a great script. 

Some 30 years later, they now own 50 restaurants and 15 hotels across the world. With each restaurant promising “a local perspective on Nobu’s signature menu”. 

Past Presidents, Hollywood stars and hospitality Giants alike all praise his mastery of fusion cuisine. 

I can’t think of another chef who’s been able to deliver the same restaurant concept across the globe with such consistency and luxury.

The most famous dish from the Nobu collection of restaurants is his black cod with miso. This weekend I’m sharing my super simple take on this renowned preparation of cod.

This recipe works for several species (Pollock, Hake, Haddock, Monkfish) so do rely on what’s available or whatever your fish monger recommends as the freshest.

Baking fish is my most favoured method of seafood cookery at home, it works so well if you’re cooking more than one or two portions of fish. You’re not dealing with anything sticking to the pan or an oil splattered kitchen.

This dish is especially great for entertaining as you can have everything ready to pop in the oven and dinner is just ten minutes away. 

I’m serving this Unami bathed baked cod with some sweet and buttery braised leeks which work so wonderfully, but it’s also great with some steamed rice and some shaved raw or pickled vegetables.

Miso-baked cod with leeks

This dish is especially great for entertaining as you can have everything ready to pop in the oven and dinner is just ten minutes away.

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 5 hours 0 mins

Cooking Time

 10 mins

Total Time

 5 hours 10 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 4 x 150g cod filets

• 4 tbsp miso

• 3 tbsp mirin

• Juice 1 lemon

• 1 tbsp sugar

• 1 tbsp black sesame seeds

• 1 tbsp white sesame seeds

• Braised Leeks

• 500g Leeks

• 1tb miso

• 250ml water

• 100ml white wine

• 1 lemon zest peel

• 2 sprigs of thyme

• Pinch of sea salt

Method

1. To make the marinade combine the miso, mirin, lemon juice and sugar in a small pot. Place on a medium high heat and bring to the boil for 30 seconds. Whisk to combine. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

2. Transfer the miso marinade to a large mixing bowl or dish. Add the cod fillets and mix to coat the whole surface area of the fillets.

3. Allow to marinade for at least 30 minutes and no longer than 5 hours.

4. To cook the cod, preheat your oven to 200C. Remove the fish from the marinade, gently shaking off the excess and place on a greased non-stick oven tray.

5. Bake for 10 minutes.

6. Whilst the cod is baking in the oven toast the sesame seeds in a small dry frying pan on a medium high heat for a couple of minutes.

7. To serve, sprinkle the cod fillets with the toasted sesame seeds.

8. For the leeks: Preheat oven to 180 C.

9. To prepare the leeks wash to remove any grit. Trim the end of the root and cut off the dark green tops. Cut into 1inch rounds.

10. In a small bowl combine the miso, water and white wine.

11. Place the leek rounds in a roasting dish or tray with the lemon zest and thyme.

12. Pour over the miso and white wine braising liquor and bake covered with a lid or some tin foil for 15 minutes.

13. After 15 minutes remove the lid and bake for a further 10 minutes uncovered.

14. Reserve the wonderful braising liquor remaining in the dish to sauce the plate.

Chef know-how 

I can’t recommend a reusable silicone baking mat enough. Every household should have one and they are perfect for oven baking fish stress free.

When you’re baking fish in the oven make sure the fillets are well dispersed on the tray to allow the heat to circulate around the fillets evenly.

When you’re cooking any seafood-based meal the fish should aways be the last thing to cook, so get everything else prepared and organised first.

The leeks in this recipe are cooked at a slightly lower temperature than the cod but can be kept warm on top of the oven and flashed back in the oven at 200C as the cod is finishing cooking.