20-Minute Nobu-Style Mackerel
Serves 2
Nobu's famous miso black cod is one of my all-time favourite dishes, so I set out to create a version that could be made on a weeknight. By using liquid shio koji instead of a multi-day marinade, you get beautifully tender, caramelised fish in around 20 minutes. Pair it with steamed rice and a spicy cabbage salad for an easy dinner that tastes restaurant quality.
Ingredients
Fish
400g fresh Spanish Mackerel, cut into 200g portions
Best Fish: This recipe works beautifully with Spanish mackerel, however kingfish, blue-eye trevalla, cod, flake or any other firm and flakey white fish will work well. If you are on a budget try Trevally - cheap and delicious. Consult your fish monger and they will steer you in the right direction!
Marinade
½ cup mirin
¼ cup sake
¼ cup liquid shio koji
1 tbsp white miso paste
1 tsp honey
2 tbsp water
Sea salt, to taste
Spicy Cabbage Salad
¼ cabbage, finely shredded
1 tsp sea salt
1 tbsp sesame oil
½ tbsp rice vinegar
Shichimi togarashi, to taste
Toasted black and white sesame seeds
Sauce Base
1 tbsp olive oil
½ white onion, finely diced
3cm piece ginger, grated
2 garlic cloves, grated
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Whisk together all the marinade ingredients. Place the fish into the marinade, cover with a paper towel soaked in the marinade and refrigerate while you cook the rice and prepare the cabbage salad.
To make the salad, sprinkle the cabbage with the salt and leave for 10 minutes to soften and draw out some moisture. Add the sesame oil, rice vinegar, shichimi and sesame seeds, then toss to combine.
Heat the olive oil in an ovenproof frying pan over low heat. Add the onion, ginger and garlic and cook until softened and fragrant.
Remove the fish from the marinade and pour the marinade into the pan. Bring to a gentle simmer.
If you have a blowtorch
6. Blowtorch the skin and exterior of the fish until well caramelised.
7. Nestle the fish into the sauce and bake for 8–12 minutes, or until the thickest part reaches an internal temperature of 48–50°C.
If you don't have a blowtorch
6. Nestle the fish into the sauce and bake until it reaches 45°C internally.
7. Switch the oven to a high grill and grill until nicely caramelised and the internal temperature reaches 48–50°C.
Finish
8. Remove the fish from the pan and allow it to rest for a couple of minutes.
9. Place the pan back over medium heat and reduce the sauce until thick, glossy and spoon coating.
Serve the fish over steamed rice with the spicy cabbage salad and generously spoon the reduced sauce over the fish.
60 pages of all my fish expertise:
How to source quality, fresh ingredients (goodbye “fishy” fish)
Easy weeknight recipes Lily and I swear by
Impressive dishes to show off your newfound fish-lord skills
My pro tips and stories from cooking hundreds (probably thousands) of fish recipes
Go-to sauces that pair perfectly with, or without, seafood