Recipe, The Little Geranium – Blackened Cod
Recipe: Blackened Cod
An original recipe by Steven Saunders of The Little Geranium, La Cala. Originally cooked for Queen Elizabeth II.
Ingredients (for 4 people)
- 4 x 250g pieces of fresh cod, skin on
- For the glaze/marinade
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 dessertspoon of soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sake
- 1 tablespoon mirin ( rice wine or regular dry white wine)
- 4 tablespoons white miso paste
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
Preparation
Bring the sake, soy, mirin (or wine) and honey to a boil in a medium saucepan over a high heat. Boil for 20 seconds to evaporate the alcohol. Turn the heat down to low, add the miso paste, and whisk. When the miso has dissolved completely, turn the heat up to high again and add the sugar, whisking constantly to ensure that the sugar doesn’t burn on the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat once the sugar is fully dissolved. Cool to room temperature.
Pat the cod fillets thoroughly dry with paper towels. Slather the fish with the miso marinade and place in a dish or bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Leave to marinate in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
To Cook the Fish
Preheat oven to the highest heat. Heat an oven-proof skillet over high heat on the stove top. Lightly wipe off any excess miso clinging to the fillets but don’t rinse it off. Cover the pan with a little oil, then sear the fish skin-side down in the pan and cook until the skin crisps, about 2 minutes. Flip and continue cooking until the other side is browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to the oven and bake for 5 minutes or less, depending on the thickness of the fish, until the flesh is opaque and flakes easily.
Serve on a bed of wild rocket drizzled with basil oil or good olive oil and some of the cooking juices and season well.
More recipes from Steven Saunders, The Little Geranium, La Cala de Mijas, Spain.
