Miso-Glazed Cod

Next to making miso soup, this was the next most obvious thing to do with the miso paste I bought for the Shabu Shabu.  There are tons of recipes out there using miso paste for something other than soup.  My favorites seem to be mixing it with honey as a glaze or combining it with tahini for a vegetable dressing.  We'll attack the first idea here.

It's important to note that what I bought is actually dashi miso, which has the bonito (fish) already in it.  It's like buying the kind of chicken bullion that comes in a paste, where all you have to add to the soup is the chunky stuff.  If you're trying to be vegetarian or vegan, get plain white miso and check the ingredients. Obviously, glazing fish with it is not vegetarian, but if you were to use this glaze on tofu or a vegetable, it would be.  I guess mixing it with honey is also not vegan, but subbing in maple syrup or agave would be.  I'm assuming that most people who look at my recipes end up tweaking them to suit their tastes, just like I do.

Using cod was the fish counter guy's idea, and it was a good one.  The thickness of the fish worked very well with a low-heat roasting, and the flavor is mellow so it doesn't compete with the glaze.  For someone who only eats fish out of guilt that I haven't had it in a while, this was a good compromise.

1 lb cod fillet, cut in portions
*2 Tb white miso paste
1 Tb olive oil
2 tsp rice vinegar
*1" fresh ginger, grated
1 tsp honey
1/2 tsp sesame seeds
1/2 tsp soy sauce

1.  Preheat oven to 325º and foil line a roasting pan with a rack.  This is to make cleanup easier.

2.  Whisk together dressing ingredients.  Coat both sides of fish portions with glaze and place on rack.

3.  Roast for 15 minutes.  Turn over and continue to bake until opaque in center and flaky, about another 10 minutes.  Serve hot.

Difficulty rating  π