I would consider myself a novice when it comes to Japanese cooking, considering the 10-year (or longer) apprenticeships of sushi chefs, I will probably always be a novice. However, with just a few ingredients, my Miso Sea Bass with Pickled Ginger and Radish Salsa recipe is just about as easy as it gets when it comes to Japanese cuisine.
I’m a huge fan of Chilean Sea Bass and love its great texture, mild flavor and its ability to take high roasting temperatures without getting tough. It’s perfect for absorbing the flavors of this delicious miso and mirin rice wine marinade.
Oddly enough, Chilean Sea Bass is not its real name. This fish is actually the Patagonian Toothfish, but in the 1970s, a fish wholesaler by the name of Lee Lantz coined the name and began calling it the Chilean Sea Bass because it sounded more appealing to American consumers.
This dish is inspired by two great chefs, Nobu Matsuhisa, and Jaime Oliver, I’ve taken bits and pieces from a couple of their recipes in order to make my Miso Sea Bass with Pickled Ginger and Radish Salsa recipe.
Chef Nobu is famous for his Black Cod with Miso, a signature dish at his namesake restaurants, I’ve streamlined my marinade down to just two ingredients and it couldn’t be simpler. I streamlined it out of necessity really, I simply didn’t have all the right ingredients the first time I experimented with this dish, and actually loved the way my substitutions tasted, so, happy accidents I guess. I use a darker type of miso called ‘Hacho Miso’ it is almost black and a very thick paste, Nobu uses white miso, which I assume is the right way of traditional Japanese cooking, but I enjoyed my experiment, so I keep doing it.
Secondly, we were watching Jaime Oliver’s TV show ‘5 Ingredients’ and he had this delicious looking Asian Tuna Steak Salad. It looked amazing and I made a version of his salsa the following night to top an Asian inspired halibut with a Mirin and Sesame oil vinaigrette. As soon as I tasted it I knew it needed to be on this Miso Sea Bass with Pickled Ginger and Radish Salsa recipe.
Here is the Miso Sea Bass Recipe:
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 Tablespoon Miso Paste
- 3 Tablespoons Mirin Rice Wine
- 2 8-Ounce Sea Bass Filets
PROCESS:
-Combine the miso and mirin, use the back of a fork to smash the miso paste and combine the two ingredients, you may need to pass it through a sieve if you have lumps
-Place the sea bass filets in the marinade and cover the flesh completely
-Let marinade overnight, preferably 24 hours
-Preheat oven to 400F
-Wipe off excess marinade prior to roasting
-Coat an oven proof skillet with sesame oil, place the fish skin side down and roast for 20-25 minutes
Pickled Ginger and Radish Salsa
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 Tablespoons finely diced Pickled Ginger
- 2 Tablespoons finely diced Fresh Radishes
- 2 Tablespoon Pickled Ginger Liquid
- 1 Tablespoon finely diced Radish Leaves
PROCESS:
-Combine all
Sesame Ginger Vinaigrette
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 Tablespoons finely diced Pickled Ginger
- 2 Tablespoons Mirin Rice Wine
- 3 Tablespoons Rice Vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce
- 2 Tablespoons Sesame Oil
PROCESS:
-Combine all
For Plating:
INGREDIENTS:
- Mixed Greens (greens of your choice)
- Fresh Sprouts
- Roasted Sea Bass
- Sliced Radishes with leaves
- Pickled Ginger and Radish Salsa
- Sesame Ginger Vinaigrette
PROCESS:
-In a large bowl, place enough greens for two servings, pour on just enough vinaigrette to coat, toss
-Place greens on the plate, sprinkle with sliced radishes and radish leaves
-Place Roasted Sea Bass on top of the greens
-Garnish with sprouts and Pickled Ginger and Radish Salsa
