I don’t think there is anything I love more than Japanese food. Scratch that, I don’t think there’s anything I love more than the overly priced but mouthwateringly delicious Peruvian infused Japanese cuisine of NYC’s Nobu. And though I dream of their melt-in-your-mouth black miso marinated cod, $36 is too much for a small piece of fish, especially while working at an unpaid internship.

So, I went on a mission to mimic one of Nobu’s most popular and delicious recipes, without wiping me clean of cash. First trick, by switching out the black cod for another variety of cod, you can easily save over $10 dollars per pound.

Then, grab a cheap bottle of Sake, like Hakutsura Draft, which will only be $5.00, and a few honey packets from your local Whole Foods (or buy a 57¢ Honey Bear). Finally, the white miso will cost you $4.00, but the amount you use for this recipes will only be 25¢,and the tub will last you months.

Final Results: You pay $14.50 in total. When you calculate how much you paid for the amount of each ingredient you used, you actually ended up paying $8.10 for a $36 dish. Get cooking.

Cod

Photo by Amanda Wahlstedt

Black Miso Cod

  • Prep Time:30 minutes
  • Cook Time:12 minutes
  • Total Time:42 minutes
  • Servings:1
  • Medium

    Ingredients

  • 1/2 lb cod fillet
  • 6 tablespoon sake
  • 2 tablespoon honey
  • 3.5 tablespoon white miso paste
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
By Amanda Wahlstedt
  • Step 1

    Add sake to a saucepan and bring to a boil.

    By Amanda Wahlstedt
  • Step 2

    Once boiling, lower heat to low. Add the miso paste and stir until it has dissolved.

    By Amanda Wahlstedt
  • Step 3

    Turn the heat up to medium-high and add the honey. Stir constantly until the honey has dissolved.

    By Amanda Wahlstedt
  • Step 4

    Remove saucepan from the heat and let it cool.

    By Amanda Wahlstedt
  • Step 5

    Cover both sides of fish with sauce. Save extra sauce for later.

    By Amanda Wahlstedt
  • Step 6

    Refrigerate fish in an air-tight container for 20 minutes.

    By Amanda Wahlstedt
  • Step 7

    Preheat oven to 400˚F.

  • Step 8

    Heat an ovenproof pan on medium-high heat. Coat the pan in olive oil. Add the fillet, skin-side-up, and cook for 2-3 minutes.

    By Amanda Wahlstedt
  • Step 9

    Flip the fillet, and cook for another 2 minutes, until browned.

    By Amanda Wahlstedt
  • Step 10

    Transfer pan to oven and cook for about 7 minutes, or until browned and white flakes are opaque.

    By Amanda Wahlstedt
  • Step 11

    Serve warm with extra sauce. Enjoy.

    By Amanda Wahlstedt