Miso-Glazed Sea Bass

The fermented soybean paste called miso, a staple of Japanese cooking, is used in salad dressings; as a pickling agent; as a base for soups; and, as here, to flavor marinades. Combined with mirin and sake—Japanese wines made from rice—and flecked with fresh ginger, the marinade is brushed on the fish during cooking to create a shimmering, subtly sweet and rich savory glaze. Red snapper or another sea bass can be used in place of the Chilean sea bass.

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup white miso
  • 1/4 cup mirin
  • 1/4 cup sake
  • 3 Tbs. sugar
  • 1 tsp. peeled and finely grated fresh ginger
  • 6 Chilean sea bass fillets (or other sea bass), each about 6 oz.,
      and 3/4 to 1 inch thick
  • 1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest

Directions:

In a shallow glass baking dish or lidded container, whisk together the miso, mirin, sake, sugar and ginger until smooth. Add the sea bass and turn to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to overnight.

Preheat a broiler.

Remove the sea bass from the marinade, reserving the marinade. Place the fillets on a broiler pan and broil 2 to 3 inches from the heat source until browned with crusty edges, about 4 minutes. Turn, brush with the reserved marinade, and broil until browned on the other side, 3 to 4 minutes.

Sprinkle with the lemon zest and serve.
Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Lifestyles Series, Asian Flavors, by Joyce Jue (Time-Life Books, 1999).