A deliciously easy Miso Sea Bass recipe inspired by Nobu, with a sweet and savory flavor, that is on the table in under 15 minutes (excluding marinating. I also show you what to do if you don't have time to marinate the fish.) The typical version uses Chilean Sea Bass (Patagonian Toothfish) but the sauce works with other types of fish so I'm using Barramundi Sea Bass instead to be more sustainable. (Alternatively, Black Cod or Alaskan Sablefish is a good substitute.)
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⭐ Why This Recipe is a Star
- Easy and delicious: This Japanese Miso Sea Bass 銀むつ味噌焼き only requires 5 ingredients and is a simple marinade and bake recipe. It's such an easy recipe, it's a great introduction to Japanese cooking.
- Quick: It cooks up in under 15 minutes- sans marinating- and is the perfect choice for a busy weeknight dinner.
- Flexible recipe: Mirin and miso fish is a popular seafood dish in Japan and this recipe works with many types of fish, from Black Cod to Salmon and Chilean Sea Bass. You can also bake, broil, grill or pan sear it!
Note: Chilean Sea Bass has a tender, buttery and rich flavor that Barramundi can't quite match (it is more dry.) However, it's an endangered species. Luckily, this is a versatile recipe so I've substituted for Barramundi which is better for the environment (and better on my wallet.) Alternatively, if you can get it, Black Cod, also known as Alaskan Sablefish, has a similar silky texture, flavor and is cheaper!
🥘 Ingredients
You will need:
- Fish fillets: This Miso Glazed Sea Bass recipe is super easygoing. It works with almost all fish but is best with fatty fish varieties. My top recommendation is to use Black Cod if you can get it, as the flaky fish is so beautifully buttery and melts in your mouth. Not only does it complement the flavor of the sauce better, it's harder to overcook. The recipe also works very well with Chilean Sea Bass (not good for the Earth or your budget though), Salmon or Pacific Halibut. Asian Sea Bass or Barramundi is possible but won't taste as good as the other fish!
- Miso: This recipe works better with white miso paste (Shiro Miso) or awase miso. However, as mentioned, it's really flexible. I was out of white miso when photographing, so I tried the Seabass with Red Miso Paste and it still tasted good! Having said that, if you're trying to replicate what you get at Nobu, use White Miso.
- Sugar: You can omit this if using White Miso. However, add it for extra sweetness if using Red Miso which is less sweet.
- Mirin: If you don't have mirin, you can substitute with sake, soju or dry sherry but will need to add 1-2 more Tablespoons of sugar. I don't recommend white wine as a substitute.
- Sake
- Optional, Light Soy Sauce: this is not part of the classic Miso Glazed Chilean Sea Bass recipe but I add 1 Tablespoon when I feel like more umami flavor.
Optional garnish: green onions and lightly toasted sesame seeds. A squeeze of fresh lemon or lime juice also complements the sweet salty flavors very well.
How to serve: I recommend serving with rice and stir-fried bok choy.
Tip: If you really must use Chilean Sea Bass, make sure it is MSC certified.
Variations
If you prefer a creamier sauce, try this miso butter salmon sauce. It's delicious with sea bass too!
🔪 Step-by-Step Instructions
- Clean the fish and pat dry with paper towels. Make sure the skin is as dry as possible if you want it crisp.
2. Add the miso, sake and mirin to a non-reactive or glass container with a tightly closed lid. Mix till all the miso has been dissolved into the liquid.
3a. Place the piece of fish down in the marinade, flesh down, skin up. Try not to let the marinade touch the skin or it'll be wet and won't crisp up.
3b. Allow to marinate for 1-3 nights (ensuring the fish does not expire in the meantime!) If you only marinate it for 2 hours, the flavor won't permeate the fish. (See Tip 2 below for how to get more flavor if so.)
3c. Before cooking, remove from the marinade and wipe off any sauce on the skin (it will burn.) It's OK to have some marinade on the flesh, but not too much.
4a. Allow the fish to come to room temperature (10-20 minutes) before cooking.
4b. Place fish skin facing up on parchment paper or aluminium foil (recommended if broiling.)
Chilean Sea Bass OR Black Cod
- Broiling: preheat the broiler to medium (500ºF/260ºC) and broil the fish on the medium rack for 7-10 minutes till the skin is golden brown. (Exact time depends on how thick the fish is.)
- Baking: Bake for 15-20 minutes in a preheated oven at 425F/218C/ 198C fan till the skin is blistered and fish is cooked.
Barramundi
- Bake for 15 minutes at 350F/180/160C then briefly broil to sear the top (or till the internal temperature is 55C/135F.)
Note: the cooking time will change depending on the type of fish used.
🥡 How to Store
Fish is always best consumed hot after cooking. If you really need to, you can store it in the fridge in an airtight container after cooking for 1-2 days.
I don't recommend freezing cooked fish.
👩🏻🍳 Expert Tips
Tip #1: You can use 1-2T of cooking wine such as sake to clean the fish before marinating and broiling. This helps to reduce fishy odours but is not strictly necessary (as the Miso flavor is strong enough to cover any up.)
Tip #2: Waste not, want not. Bring the miso marinade to a boil (to ensure all the bacteria is killed) in a small sauce pan and it can be used as a sauce for Japanese grilled eggplants or for grilled fish that you have not had time to marinade
🥗 Suggested Accompanying Recipes
Enjoyed this easy Japanese fish Recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟rating in the recipe card below! If you REALLY liked this Miso Fish Dish, please consider supporting it by buying me a bottle of sake! 🙂 (No obligation though!) Thank you and have a great day!
Miso Sea Bass (or Other Types of Fish)
Equipment
- Baking tray and parchment paper/ foil
- Airtight glass container for marinating
Ingredients
- 2 Fish fillets My top choice is Black Cod, followed by Pacific Halibut, Salmon or Asian Barramundi.
- 3 Tablespoons Miso Paste Best is white miso, but awase miso and red miso can do too.
- ¼ Cup Mirin If you're out of mirin, you can use sake instead (so you would add a total of 5 Tablespoons of sake to the marinade.) If so, please add 1-2 Tablespoons of white sugar too.
- 1 Tablespoon Sake
- 1 Tablespoon Light Soy Sauce Optional. This is not part of the classic Miso Glazed Chilean Sea Bass recipe but I add 1 Tablespoon when I feel like more umami flavor.
- Green onions and lightly toasted sesame seeds. Optional garnish. A squeeze of fresh lemon or lime juice also complements the sweet salty flavors very well.
Instructions
Marinating
- Clean the fish fillets and pat dry with paper towels. Make sure the skin is as dry as possible if you want it crisp.
- Add the miso, sake and mirin to a non-reactive or glass container with a tightly closed lid. Mix till all the miso has been dissolved in to the liquid.
- Place the piece of fish down in the marinade, flesh down, skin up. Try not to let the marinade touch the skin or it'll be wet and won't crisp up.
- Allow to marinate for 1-3 nights (ensuring the fish does not expire in the meantime!) If you only marinate it for 2 hours, the flavor won't permeate the fish. (See Tip 2 below for how to get more flavor if so.)
Cooking
- Before cooking, remove from the marinade and wipe off any sauce on the skin (it will burn.) It's OK to have some marinade on the flesh, but not too much.
- Allow the fish to come to room temperature (10-20 minutes) before cooking. Place fish skin facing up on parchment paper or aluminium foil (recommended if broiling.) Cooking time will differ depending on fish used.
- For Chilean Sea Bass/ Black CodBroiling: preheat the broiler to medium (500ºF/260ºC) and broil the fish on the medium rack for 7-10 minutes till the skin is golden brown. (Exact time depends on how thick the fish is.)Baking: Bake for 15-20 minutes in a preheated oven at 425F/218C/ 198C fan till the skin is blistered and fish is cooked.Bake for 15 minutes at 350F/180/160C then briefly broil to sear the top (or till the internal temperature is 55C/135F.)
- For BarramundiBake for 15 minutes at 350F/180/160C then briefly broil to sear the top (or till the internal temperature is 55C/135F.)Note: Cooking time will change if you use different fish.
Notes
Nutrition
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Dorene chew says
Thanks again. Your recipes are a great help to me as I can’t cook. My helper find your recipes very helpful - she made this dish (miso sea bass) for me several times!!