Miso-marinated cod — the preparation made famous by Nobu Matsuhisa — is one of those dishes that manages to convert reluctant fish eaters of all ages. The white miso marinade draws out moisture, firms the flesh slightly, and creates a caramelised crust under the grill that is sweet and deeply savoury. The fish itself stays moist and buttery, and the flavour, while complex, reads as sweet and mild rather than sharp or fishy to children encountering it for the first time.
Cod is a versatile species for family cooking: lean, white, mild, and available in Singapore in fillet portions. For children, the miso quantity is kept modest here — less than in the classic Nobu version — to reduce the sodium level to something appropriate for small bodies. From 18 months, when the diet has diversified considerably and the palate is ready for more complex flavours, this is an excellent gateway fish dish. For children under 12 months, cook the fish plain without the miso and serve with fish broth.
Ingredients (serves 2 adults and 2 children)
- 4 cod fillets, approximately 130g each, skin on or off
- 3 tablespoons white miso (shiro miso)
- 1 tablespoon mirin
- 1 tablespoon sake or dry sherry
- 1 teaspoon caster sugar
- 1 teaspoon neutral oil, for the baking tray
- Steamed rice and a simple green vegetable, to serve
Method
- Whisk together the miso, mirin, sake, and sugar in a small bowl until smooth.
- Pat the cod fillets completely dry with kitchen paper. Place them in a shallow dish or zip-lock bag.
- Spread the miso marinade over all surfaces of the fish. Cover the dish or seal the bag and refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours and ideally overnight (up to 24 hours). The longer the marinade, the more caramelised and flavourful the result.
- When ready to cook, remove the fish from the refrigerator 20 minutes before cooking. Set the oven to 220 degrees Celsius with the top grill element on.
- Wipe off most of the excess marinade from the fish with a paper towel — leaving a thin coating is correct, but a thick layer will burn before the fish is cooked through.
- Lightly oil a baking tray or line it with foil brushed with oil. Lay the fillets on the tray.
- Grill in the upper portion of the oven for 10 to 12 minutes until the surface is deeply golden and caramelised in patches and the fish is just cooked through — it should flake easily when pressed.
- Rest for 2 minutes before serving.
Serving and Storage Notes
Serve over steamed rice with a simply prepared green vegetable — blanched bok choy, steamed broccoli, or sauteed spinach. The caramelised glaze on the fish is the seasoning for the whole bowl; no additional sauce is needed.
For children between 18 and 30 months, flake the fish over rice and let them eat with a spoon or their hands. The sweet, mild flavour and soft texture make it very well accepted at this age. For toddlers who are sensitive to salt, serve a smaller portion of fish with more rice to dilute the overall sodium per mouthful.
Leftover cooked fish keeps refrigerated for up to 48 hours. It does not reheat well under the grill — the glaze burns before the interior warms. Instead, warm gently in a covered pan with a tablespoon of water over low heat for 2 minutes. Alternatively, flake cold leftover cod into warm rice the next day; it makes an excellent light lunch that does not require reheating the fish at all.