Recipe: Miso Black Cod with Salmon Roe

Serves 4

- ½ cup mirin

- ½ cup sake

- 1 cup sweet white miso

- 24 ounces black cod fillet, cut into 4 equal pieces (see note)

- 4 green onions

- 4 teaspoons salmon roe for garnish

1. In a saucepan over high heat, combine mirin and sake and bring to a boil. Simmer 15 minutes to evaporate alcohol. Turn off heat and let cool before whisking in the miso.

2. Arrange fillets in a shallow dish and coat them liberally with the marinade on both sides. Reserve the greens of the onions; wrap and refrigerate. Thinly slice the whites and sprinkle over the fish. Cover tightly and refrigerate 24 to 48 hours.

3. Preheat broiler and position a rack 5 inches from the heating element. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and oil lightly. Wipe onions and excess marinade off the fish (discard marinade) and place on pan. Broil under high heat until the fish is caramelized at the edges and just cooked through in the center, 10 to 12 minutes. (If the fish is browning too much place baking sheet on a lower oven rack.)

4. Place a piece of fillet on each of 4 plates and top each with thinly sliced onion greens and a heaping teaspoon of salmon roe. Serve immediately.

Note: Be sure to buy very fresh fish with a use-by date that will allow for curing time.

From "Chef, Interrupted" by Melissa Clark