Miso Broiled Black Cod, also called Alaskan Cod or Sablefish, has an unmatched melt-in-your mouth quality. It’s buttery and flaky, and the delicate crust from broiling the fish, is sweet and savory. Served with fresh Bok Choy, you will not be able to get enough of this meal! 
Miso Broiled Black Cod is truly something special. While the amazing miso marinade adds incredible flavor, the Black Cod, in and of itself is special.
What is Black Cod (Sablefish, Alaskan Cod)?
- Black Cod has a high oil content which creates its buttery, melt-in-your mouth quality. Rich and subtly sweet, it’s a delicate, mild fish, that flakes apart when it’s cooked perfectly.
- This cod is said to contain even more Omega-3 fatty acids than any wild salmon.
- Sablefish can be found throughout the North Pacific Ocean and around California. Alaskan Sablefish however, is said to be the best because it tends to be richer due to the colder water temperature.
- Both the flavor and texture of Sablefish are similar to Patagonian Toothfish (Chilean Sea Bass).
What’s in this Miso Broiled Black Cod recipe?
- Black Cod
- white miso paste
- sake
- mirin
- grapeseed oil
- fresh ginger
- wasabi pasate
- sugar
- bok choy
- bell peppers
- sesame oil
- sesame seeds
- salt, pepper
Why You Should Make This Recipe
- You can do almost all of it ahead of time. The fish goes in the marinade the night before you’re serving it, and only takes 5 minutes to cook. Prep the bok choy and bell peppers the night before, and you entire prep time the day you’re serving becomes only about 20 minutes.
- You will most certainly be a huge hit! My sons and husband will tell you that when I love what I cook, I’m quick to applaud myself. 😉 Everyone will applaud you, when you make this.
Miso Broiled Black Cod is in the “mind-blowingly delicious” category.
Recipe Tips for Miso Broiled Black Cod
- The easiest and best way to grate the fresh ginger is with a microplane zester.
- Important! If you’re gluten-free, or serving anyone who is, most miso pastes are not gluten-free. However, there are several brands that are. Here are a few: Cold Mountain, Hikari and Eden. (I use Cold Mountain and it’s excellent.)
- All broilers are not quite the same, but be sure the fish is about 4 inches below the heat.
- Watch the cod while it broils. This might sound like a bit much — to sit and stare in the oven, but it’s important. The cod only takes about 5 minutes to cook, so it’s easy. It can go from a gorgeous golden brown, to black in just seconds. You also might notice some areas of the cod becoming darker than others. If this is the case, move the sheet pan around a bit to even out the cooking.
Fish Purchasing Tips
- First, always buy the freshest fish possible. If you have a specialty fish market near you, that’s probably your best bet.
- Secondly, don’t hesitate to ask the fish monger behind the fish counter to skin and portion your fish for you. They will almost always be happy to do this for you.
Miso Broiled Black Cod and the Bok Choy Stir Fry are both so worth trying! I hope you love all of it!
More recipes with Miso and Bok Choy:
- Miso Garlic-Ginger Tofu Recipe
- Spicy Miso Glazed Eggplant Recipe
- Sheet Pan Miso Pork Chops with Broccolini
- Crispy Bok Choy Chips
- Bok Choy with Garlic Orange Sauce
- Bok Choy Shiitake Mushroom Gratin
Miso Broiled Black Cod, also called Alaskan Cod or Sablefish, has an unmatched melt-in-your mouth quality. It's buttery and flaky, and the delicate crust from broiling the fish, is sweet and savory. Served with fresh Bok Choy, you will not be able to get enough of this meal!
- 1 cup light or white miso paste
- ½ cup Mirin (sweet Japanese rice wine)
- ½ cup sake
- 1½ teaspoons wasabi paste
- 1½ tablespoons fresh ginger pulp
- 1½ tablespoons granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup grapeseed oil
- 2½ pounds black cod fillet
- 6 heads baby bok choy, washed and dried
- 3 bell peppers (orange, yellow and/or red), washed and dried
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- salt and pepper to taste
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In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk the miso paste with the mirin, sake, wasabi, ginger, sugar and oil. Whisk until it's very smooth and the pour the mixture into a large zip-lock bag. Add the fish, remove all the air from the bag, and seal it. Make sure all of the fish is well-coated. To be sure it doesn't leak, put this bag in a second bag. Then place it in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours and ideally overnight.
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About 15 minutes before you'd like to serve, slice the peppers into thin strips and the bottom inch or so off the bok choy and simply break it apart.
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Remove the fish from the refrigerator, and cover a baking sheet with foil. Adjust the rack under the broiler so the fish will be a few inches from the flame (about 4), and turn it on. Remove the fish from the bag, letting any excess marinade drip off. Then place the fish on the foil-covered baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the broiler until the fish has nicely caramelized on top, and is just barely cooked through (It should still be slightly transluscent in the center). It should take about 5 minutes. You can use a fork to check for doneness -- as soon as the fish flakes apart, it's done.
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While the fish is cooking, coat a large sauté pan with grapeseed oil over medium heat. Add the bok choy, peppers and sesame seeds, and cook until the bok choy is wilted, about 3 minutes. Drizzle with the sesame oil and season to taste with salt and pepper. (Here's How to Season to Taste.)
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Serve the fish alongside or on top of the vegetables.
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angiesrecipes says
Black cod is a favourite! I love it prepared with teriyaki sauce. This looks so succulent, meaty and yummy.
valentina says
Thanks, Angie. I love it with teriyaki, too. 🙂 ~Valentina
2pots2cook says
Love miso and make soup with it. Bok choy and fish with miso must be heavenly good !
valentina says
It is. 🙂 Thank you, Davorka. 🙂 ~Valentina
Colette says
What a gorgeous and healthy dinner idea, Valentina!
Wish I’d made a dash for the market for fish before curfew tonight.
Oh well, there’s always tomorrow to look forward to. xo
valentina says
Thanks, Colette. Hope you love it! 🙂 ~Valentina
Kathy @ Beyond the Chicken Coop says
I’m certain I’ll be applauding you as well! I love how simple and flavorful this cod is. That marinade sounds like a flavor packed wonder! I can’t wait to give this a go!
valentina says
“A flavor packed wonder!” I love that description. Thanks so much, Kathy. Hope you and your family are all safe and well. 🙂 ~Valentina
David @ Spiced says
I love flaky, white fish! Baked, broiled, fried…it doesn’t matter to me. Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve ever broiled fish like this before. I’ve used the broiler to finish off a recipe, but never as the sole way of cooking it. I want to try this out! And the flavor profile here sounds delicious!
valentina says
Thanks, David. It’s a fun way to cook the fish — as long as you watch it closely! Thanks for checking it out and enjoy! Hope you and your family are safe and well. 🙂 ~Valentina
Ron says
We love miso on fish and have used it on Salmon. I remember eating Sablefish when we lived in the PNW of the US, but we don’t see it here. But, we are seeing some beautiful fresh true cod just now that I will plan to use with your recipe.
valentina says
Hi Ron, Thanks so much for visiting. I was actually thinking of using similar marinade ingredients tonight with salmon I just bought. 🙂 I hope you are safe and well! ~Valentina
John / Kitchen Riffs says
Miso + fish = mouth delight! Such a terrific pairing. I tend to start my fish on the stovetop, then put the whole pan in a hot oven to finish. Haven’t broiled fish using a miso glaze — gotta try that. Good recipe — thanks.
valentina says
I love that dual cooking method, John. Hope you try and like this recipe. Thanks for stopping by and hope you’re well! 🙂 ~Valentina
Priya says
This is a great recipe for the fish lovers 🙂
valentina says
Thanks, Priya! Enjoy. 🙂 ~Valentina
Gerlinde says
In these trying times your recipe looks comforting and healthy. I will try it.
valentina says
Hi Gerlinde. Thank you so much for your comment. I hope you love it as much as I do. Hope you are safe and well! 🙂 ~Valentina
Eha Carr says
Quite my favourite collection of ingredients assembled here. May not be able to get black cod Down Under but am certain to find a substitute ! Use mostly the yellowish and the mid-tan miso in my cooking, the former seeming most appropriate . . . Personally I use grapeseed oil in most recipes in which olive oil is inappropriate. *smile* Your baby bok choi must be far more ‘baby’ than what is available here as one to the max two would be more than ample here . . .
valentina says
Hi Eha, Lovely to hear from you. I always have grapeseed oil around for the same reason. It’s a healthy oil that works when olive oil doesn’t. I hope you find a delicious fish to use with he marinade. Thank you for visiting and stay well. 🙂 ~Valentina
David Scott Allen says
I felt exactly the same when I read Sam’s intro this past weekend. I’ve always liked him so much, as he seems to “get me.”
This recipe sounds so wonderful. I know I won’t be able to get the black cod but I have everything else — so I will use a different fish and your preparation. Thanks… I needed something new.
valentina says
Thank you, David. We’re on the same page with Sam. 🙂 Happy you like the sound of my marinade. Enjoy and stay well. ~Valentina
Kim Lange says
Sounds so amazing, I wish I had this in front me of right now Valentina! Super amazing recipe! xo
valentina says
Awww, thanks, Kim. And I wish I have many of your amazing desserts in front of me. 🙂 ~Valentina
Dawn - Girl Heart Food says
This looks absolutely delicious, Valentina!! I love the combination and the bok choy too! Can’t wait to give this one a try – perfect for weeknight supper or entertaining with a glass of wine 😉 Hope you have a great weekend!
Chef Mimi says
This is wonderful. I love all of the Asian flavors happening. I don’t think much of Sam Sifton, but I’ll go back and read it. Maybe he’ll be redeemed in my eyes!
Jeff the Chef says
My gosh that fish looks so delicious. I can’t believe the gorgeous color!
Robin says
You’ve made what I considered to be a boring type of fish (sorry, cod!) into a super flavorful, fulfilling meal! I’m so impressed with this recipe! We had this for dinner last night to use up the last of our Lummi order and it was so dang good. Will definitely be a repeat recipe in our home.
valentina says
Hi Robin! Thanks for writing in. I’m so happy you liked this recipe — it’s my favorite marinade! So happy it’ll be a recurring meal at your house. Happy New Year. 🙂 ~Valentina