Meal deals: Fishy tales

Last night, I resurrected a recipe at Skip's request. It's a dish I used to make years ago (although I used to use a Tetsuya recipe and it was a bit more fiddly than this version), but for some reason I stopped making it. Probably because the ingredients were a little more difficult to come by in Dubai. Anyway, it's so simple and so delicious, that I thought I better share it.

This recipe is one that I got from Jill Dupleix but I changed it slightly. It's a take on Nobu's famous miso black cod and it's super easy and super quick to make. I reckon it's the perfect Monday night meal, light and healthy after a weekend of eating and/or drinking and you can have it on the table quick smart (if you prepare ahead and marinate the fish the night before, or you could eat it on a weekend, just remember to leave time for the fish to marinate). Best of all it's very, very delicious. There may be a couple of ingredients that are not in your pantry, but they're easy to pick up from the Asian aisle of the supermarket and once you buy them, you've got them for next you make it. Believe me, once you make it you'll make it again.

So I dare you to try it.

Miso fish with sesame snow pea salad

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons of soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons of caster sugar
• 1/3 cup of Mirin
• 1/3 cup Shiro Miso (white miso paste)
• 500 grams of white fish (I used bream, but you could use any firm white fish)

Udon noodles or rice to serve

For the salad

• Snow peas thinly sliced on a diagonal
• Lebanese cucumber, deseeded and thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons of miring
• 2 tablespoons of rice wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons of sesame oil
• sesame seeds

Method

1. Place the soy sauce, sugar and mirin in a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Add the miso paste and whisk until combined. Take off the heat and let it cool completely. 
2. Place the fish in a dish with the marinade and toss to coat. Leave for a least two hours or, even better, overnight in the fridge. 
3. Heat a hot grill. Line the wire rack with alfoil. Place the fish on the foil and chuck the marinade. Cook for about 10-15 minutes  (if the fish is whole, you can cut the fish into smaller pieces and the cooking time will be less). The original recipe said not to turn, but I quite like to turn and get the golden, burnt caramelisation all over the fish. 
4. For the salad simply toss all the ingredients together. Serve the fish and salad with some udon noodles (I used ready-to-eat noodles) or some rice. 

My other favourite way to cook simple, delicious salmon is below. This dish is on regular rotation at our place.

Sweet chilli and lime salmon

Ingredients

• A good slosh of sweet chilli sauce
• A dash of soy sauce or fish sauce
• A teaspoon of sugar (optional)
• Lime or lemon juice (lime works better, but I often use lemon)
• Finely chopped corriander
• Salmon fillets (with or without skin, whatever you like)

Method

1. Put all the marinade ingredients in a small bowl and mix together
2. Place the fillets on individual pieces of foil (enough to fold up and make a small parcel)
3. Spoon marinade over the fish fillets, then bring the edges of the foil together and scrunch tightly to make little parcels.
4. Put in a hot oven and bake for about 20 minutes.
5. Serve the fillets on rice or noodles with stir-fried veggies or salad.

YUM! 

What's your favourite way to cook fish?