Miso Marinated Root Vegetables

It is 80 degrees in February in Los Angeles and with the exception of a couple of weeks of temperatures hovering in the mid sixties, this has been the least wintery winter that I remember in a long time.  Not that I am complaining too much (the fall cashmere sweater purchase was a bit of a waste, though.)  But foodwise, we still have to wait for spring to get the best asparagus, strawberries and spring peas.  So root vegetables (carrots, parsnips, sweet potatoes of all kinds, rutabaga, turnips, whatever) are still a great seasonal choice.  Peeling and chopping are the only  ”tough” thing about this and you can attack this part the day before if you like. This recipe, adapted from Food52 is pretty light and pretty delicious and pretty pretty, too.  Leftovers would be great atop some sort of grain (farro, bulgur, red or black rice come to mind) with a fried egg and some sriracha sauce.

Ingredients:

2 pounds peeled root vegetables, cut in roughly 1/2-inch pieces
2 Tablespoons miso paste (see above)
2 Tablespoons maple syrup (or honey, if you prefer)
2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
2 Tablespoons canola or grapeseed oil

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (or just oil it) or do nothing…it will work either way.

Whisk together the miso, maple syrup, rice vinegar, soy sauce, and oil. Toss the sauce with the cut-up root vegetables, coating them well. Transfer to the baking sheet and roast, turning periodically, for 30 to 40 minutes, or until they are soft (but not mushy) and caramelized. Eat as soon as possible.

Black Cod with Miso

So this dish is based on the famous Nobu Matsuhisa dish.  The original recipe called for marinating the fish for 2-3 days, but this recipe allows for merely an overnight stay.  And you can make the marinade up to a week in advance.  The marinade is a bit stinky and it takes a leap of faith to believe that it will come out fantastic, but it will. Serve with rice and something green.

• 3 T mirin (available in the asian section of the grocery)
  
• 3 T sake 
• 1/2 c white miso paste (available in the refrigerated healthy section of the grocery)
• 1/3 c sugar
• four 6-7 oz skinless black cod fillets, about 1 1/2 inches thick (fyi, black cod is not actually a cod at all, but a sable fish.) I have made this recipe with just two pieces of fish and the proportions are fine.
• canola oil (for grilling)

In a small sauce pan, bring the mirin and sake to a boil.  Whisk in the miso until it has dissolved.  Add the sugar and cook over moderate heat, whisking, until dissolved.  Let cool and then pour into a big ziplock baggie and add fish.  Cover and fridge overnight, turning occasionally.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Heat a grill pan and oil it.  Scrape off excess marinade from fish (yes, it is very stinky at this point) 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.

Serve and be amazed.