Atlantic cod, halibut & salmon with saikyo miso

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The Pacific black cod, or sablefish, with miso has become one of the most famous dishes at all of the Nobu restaurants. Here we use the same technique and cooking method with Atlantic cod, halibut and salmon. Some of our customers like to squeeze fresh lemon juice over the top to balance out the sweetness of the Saikyo miso, but this is a matter of personal taste.

Ingredients, serves 2

For the Saikyo miso
** 100ml sake
** 100ml mirin (Japanese rice wine)
** 150g caster sugar
** 300g white miso paste

For the garnish
** Cherry plum tomatoes on the vine
** Small slender courgettes, ideally with their flowers attached, briefly blanched and refreshed

1. About 2 days ahead, make the Saikyo miso: in heavy-based non-reactive saucepan, bring the sake and mirin to the boil, and continue to boil for 2-3 minutes to allow the alcohol to evaporate.

2. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the sugar until it has dissolved, then slowly mix in the miso paste, a little at a time. Cook over a medium heat, stirring constantly so as not to let the mixture burn, for 10-15 minutes.

3. Strain the mixture through a sieve to remove any lumps, allow to cool and then chill until quite cold.

4. Place the fish in a non-reactive container, pour a good splash of the Saikyo miso over each fillet and leave to marinate for 1-2 days in the refrigerator.

5. When you want to cook the fish, preheat a hot grill or the oven to 200°C/gas 6. Place the fillets in the grill pan or on a non-stick baking sheet and cook under the grill or in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes, turning once if grilling, until cooked through and golden on the outside.

6. Placed on a serving dish and dress the plate with a little extra Saikyo miso and some cherry plum tomatoes on the vine or small slender courgettes.

Recipes taken from the book "Nobu West" by Nobu Matsuhisa and Mark Edwards (Quadrille Publishing, 2006)