Soft Shell Crab and Black Cod

Robert joined us for a joint dinner. Shu also joined us. Robert and Darryly brought Softshell Crab and cooked it at our house. God, I LOVE softshells! Robert cooked it and it was excellent. He also brought a garlicly side and made a sauce for the crab! Great appetizer.

We made Black Cod with Miso and Japanese Rice. We first had this dish at Matsuhisa Restaurant. It is amazing that we can make it almost as well as Nobu.  The trick is to have great ingredients (what else is new). McCall’s Meat and Fish had a fantastic White Miso which we used. Of course we got the Black Cod from them. We topped the rice with caviar. It was exceptional.

For dessert we had an Almond Cake from Proof Bakery. This was a GREAT dinner!

Black Cod with Miso

Nobu Matsuhisa

3 tablespoons mirin

3 tablespoons sake

1/2 cup white miso paste

1/3 cup sugar

Six 6- to 7-ounce skinless black cod fillets, about 1 1/2 inches thick

Vegetable oil, for grilling

Pickled ginger, for serving

In a small saucepan, bring the mirin and sake to a boil. Whisk in the miso until dissolved. Add the sugar and cook over moderate heat, whisking, just until dissolved. Transfer the marinade to a large baking dish and let cool. Add the fish and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat the oven to 400°. Heat a grill pan and oil it. Scrape the marinade off the fish. Add the fish and cook over high heat until browned, about 2 minutes. Flip the fish onto a heavy rimmed baking sheet and roast for 10 minutes, until flaky. Transfer to plates and serve with pickled ginger.

MAKE AHEAD The marinade can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.