Satay of Miso Glazed Chilean Sea Bass
Makes 8 servings
This delicate, succulent satay from citycookin.com is a pretty hearty appetizer so one skewer per person will do if other apps are served. If used as a starter for a dinner, then recipe serves four, with two skewers per person. At the restaurant Tao in New York, they also serve this as an entrée, alongside grilled asparagus. This recipe was lightly adapted.
1⁄2 cup sugar 1⁄4 cup minced garlic 1⁄4 cup minced ginger 1⁄2 cup miso 1⁄2 cup sake (or vermouth) 1⁄2 cup mirin 1 pound sea bass, cod or other firm, mild fish 8 to 10 wooden skewers 1 tablespoon chopped chives Purchased satay or miso sauce for serving
In a bowl, combine sugar, garlic, ginger, miso, sake and mirin. Whisk until smooth.
Cut fish into 8 to 10 equal parts. Transfer fish to a plastic bag and add half the miso marinade. Refrigerate at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours. (Reserve remaining marinade in refrigerator.)
When ready to cook satay, reduce remaining miso marinade in top of a double boiler over simmering water, stirring occasionally, until thickened into a glaze, 15 to 20 minutes. (See note.) Soak skewers in water during this time to keep from burning while cooking.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Remove fish from marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Place fish on foil- or parchment-lined baking sheet and gently pierce with skewers.
Brush with miso glaze and bake in preheated oven until just cooked, about 5 to 8 minutes.
Turn on broiler and broil fish until just caramelized, about 1 minute. (See note.) Serve hot, topped with chopped chives, and offer satay or miso sauce for dipping.
Notes: If you're pressed for time, reduce the miso glaze in a small pan over low heat, stirring frequently. If you have a kitchen torch, use it instead of a broiler to give a quick caramelized finish to the fish.