IMBB? - Misoyaki Butterfish

When this month's theme of FISH was announced by Wena, I was really excited about participating.  After all, I love fish.  As I pondered over what dish I should make, my first thought was to make something representative of where I'm from, Hawaii.  The only dish that came to mind was poke (POH-kay), which is raw fish that's combined with and marinated in a variety of different ingredients.  With that not seeming exciting enough, the next dish I that came to mind was misoyaki butterfish. 

Misoyaki butterfish seemed a perfect choice.  Why?  Well, it combines Japanese flavors (sake and miso) into a uniquely Hawaiian dish.  I haven't seen this served anywhere outside Hawaii except at chef Roy Yamaguchi's restaurants around the country.  So with that settled, I decided that I needed to make some preparations.

To make the marinade you will need the following ingredients:

1/3 cup sake (Japanese rice wine)
1/3 cup mirin  (Sweet Japanese rice wine)
1 cup granulated sugar (or sugar to taste)
1 cup white miso  (soybean paste)
grated ginger (optional)

Since I'm a firm believer in using local products whenever possible, I use locally made miso.  This one is made by Hawaiian Miso & Soy Company.  This miso is great for marinades (like this one), for miso soup, or as a base for salad dressings. 

To prepare the marinade, add the sake and mirin to a heavy bottomed pot and bring to a boil.  Boil for approximately 10-15 minutes to burn off the alcohol.  Next, turn down the heat and stir in the sugar and miso.  Cook until it turns a pale caramel color.  Remove from heat and allow to cool completely.

Next comes the fish.  The fish I'm using is known locally as butterfish.  This name, butterfish, is a bit of a misnomer.  You see, the real butterfish is similar to a pompano in size and shape.  So what exactly is butterfish?  According to some food labels that are actually found on the fish, they are known as black cod, but then that name too is a misnomer because the fish we call butterfish is actually a type of sablefish.  Yikes...how confusing!  But the real reason why I think we call this butterfish is because of the oily flesh, which melts in your mouth like butter when cooked.

Since this fish is not available locally, it's very hard to get this fish fresh.  Most often times, the fish is flash frozen...and that's exactly how I bought this fish, frozen.

To prepare the fish, it first needs to be defrosted.  Once that's done, the fish should be rinsed in some cold running water and then patted dry with a clean paper towel.  Now the fish is ready for the marinade.

(Notice the dark black skin on this fish.  It's actually quite thick and leathery.)

Using a filet that's about 6-ounces, I keep the skin intact, then place into a Ziploc® bag.  I add the miso marinade and then let this sit in the refrigerator for 48-72 hours.

**72 hours later**

Now you're ready to cook your misoyaki butterfish.  Remove your filet from the Ziploc® bag.

Add about a tablespoon of vegetable oil to a skillet which is on medium-low heat.  You don't want the heat to be too high, as the miso will burn and then taste a bit bitter.  What you really want to happen is the sugar to slightly carmelize and give it a nice golden brown color.  Add your fish to the pan...

Cook for about 4-5 minutes before turning...

(Notice the nice golden brown color of the fish.)

After letting it cook for another 4-5 minutes, you're ready to serve.

Tonight, I'm having the fish with rice topped with furikake (prepared seaweed), organic green salad with homemade li hing mui (which is a type of dried preserved plum) vinaigrette, and a couple of pieces of Okinawan sweet potato.

Comments

[Wena]

oh oh oh! it looks so gorgeous!

[pieman]

Very tasty. Trying to find exactly what this fish is you describe. Is it this?

http://www.it.bond.edu.au/jmontgomery/uwphotos/2000-01ByronBay/Black%20Rock%20Cod.jpg

Any chance of you doing a google image search and posting a link to a shot?

[Renee]

Reid! this looks fab! and I'm sure tastes as good as it looks...
do you think Chinese rice wine with mirin would work as well as the Sake? (I don't usually keep any sake at home)
hmmm... in Chinese, we call a similar type of fish "snowfish", also because of its melt-in-the-mouth texture - altho' in reality I think it is actually either black cod or deep sea cod...
all these confusing fish names!

[Theresa]

The fish looks excellent. How does it taste like, svoury with a bit of sweetness?

[Jeanne]

Oh wow!!

Butterfish is one of my all-time favourite fish - the texture, the taste, just everything about it. I will definitely be trying your recipe - as soon as I can find some fresh butterfish here in London...

Thanks for your contribution!

[stef]

that looks so amazingly scrummy! i always like to order miso grilled cod at the japanese restaurant. yum! i need to get my hands on some deep sea cod.

[anthony]

72 hours! Hats of to your patience and dedication.

[Reid]

Wena,

Thanks for the compliment. You know I only made it look nice because I was blogging about it. In real life, I never eat food that looks like that! =)

Pieman,

Thank you. Here's are a couple of links that you can have a look at. This is the fish that we call butterfish.

http://hmsc.oregonstate.edu/projects/msap/PS/masterlist/fish/sablefish.html

http://www.bcseafoodonline.com/files/sablefish.html

Renee,

Thank you...*blushing*. It's actually one of my favorite dishes. I seldom cook this because I can't wait while it marinates. =)

I'm not so sure that you could use Chinese rice wine in place of sake only because I feel the flavors are a bit different. You can use any type of sake even those made for drinking. I normally don't like to use those meant for cooking as they are less refined and can make the dish taste a bit bitter (is that how I would describe it?).

Yes, and this fish definitely does melt in the mouth...and is so yummy! After I ate this, I wanted more!

Theresa,

The fish actually has a buttery smoothness to it, and yes, it actually a bit sweet, especially with the marinade. I don't know if I'd actually call it savory though.

Jeanne,

I love it too. =) You're so lucky to be able to find this fish fresh. This dish tastes so much better when made with fish that's fresh. I've made it that way a couple of times and nothing can compare.

Stef,

Thank you for the compliment. Next to shrimp tempura, which is almost impossible to cook at home, this is the one dish that I would order at a local Japanese restaurant. This has got to be one of my all time favorites.

Anthony,

Thank you...and that's why I don't make this very often...anticipation...I hate to wait!

[Min]

Gorgeous fish and excellent plating, Reid.You should cook more often:)

The miso i have at home is light brown in colour..is it the same one?

[Reid]

Hi Min,

Thank you. =) I actually have been cooking more these days, so be sure to keep an eye open, I'll be posting more home cooked stuff here. If you have the white miso, as the light brown one is called, then yes, it's the same one. =)

[rae]

Chiming in a little late, but I love miso butterfish! I live in Tokyo and have recently discovered Kobe steak marinated in miso - talking about ono!

I really enjoy your blog, thanks for the good read!

[Reid]

Hi Rae,

Thanks for dropping by! I love miso butterfish too. I've never had Kobe steak marinated in miso, but I can imagine how wonderful it is. Are you able to get misoyaki butterfish in Japan as well?

BTW...thanks for the compliment about the blog. I'm glad you enjoy it! Hope to hear from you again.

[makai]

I was wondering where you purchased your butterfish from. Store? Internet? Any help would be appreciated so I can try your recipe! ;-)

[Reid]

Hi Makai,

Welcome to my blog!

The butterfish was purchased at the store. I think when I made this, I bought it from Daiei. Where are you located?

[makai]

Hello,
Thanks for replying. I know this is an older page so I wasn't sure you still checked posts here.

I'm originally from Hawaii, but now live in Los Angeles. I don't get home too often so I really miss this kind of food. (it's funny that local people always refer to Hawaii as "home" no matter where they live! I've been in LA for 23 years and still consider Hawaii my home!) My Mom used to make butterfish for us when we were kids growing up in Kalihi. It was great eating it back then and your recipe brought back many fond memories!

I was able to buy some butterfish from Marukai in Gardena, Ca, so I did try you recipe. It turned out GREAT... although, I think I'll cut down on the sugar a little the next time I make it. Marukai is really expensive, so hopefully, I can find somewhere else to buy butterfish cheaper! On-line is no help either, as most places want ~$16/pound! YIKES!!!

BTW, Thanks for the great site! I just found it recently and have read almost all your blogs! Great recipes, and info! Not to mention all the photos of home. Living in "grey" LA really makes you appreciate all the "green" you see in Hawaii photos... even if it is just the outside of all the local restraunts! LOL!!

Aloha and Thank you,
makai

[lance]

Makai,

If you purchase butterfish under the name butterfish, it will be expensive. If I remember correctly, you might be able to find "black cod" at a local fish market. It's the same fish. We use to be able to find black cod here in Hawaii at a cheaper price than butterfish, but it's hard to find nowadays since more people found out their the same fish. Hope you'll be able to find it, so you can eat butterfish more often and enjoy the taste of home. Reid, correct me if I'm wrong about the names.

[Kirk]

As far as I know black cod is "butterfish". Don't know about prices - both are expensive.

[makai]

Thanks guys! Yah, I guess butterfish is like everything else that becomes popular... prices soar!

Black cod, sablefish, gindara, are all the same thing. Prices for any of them by any name here in LA seems to run the same... since everyone seems to know it's butterfish after all.

I was considering this website as they seem to have an endless supply of seafood... especially butterfish, but it's so expensive! $15.95/pound! http://www.great-alaska-seafood.com/sable-fish.htm

Anyways, my butterfish quest will be ongoing! I will report here if I ever find a decent source at good prices. Thanks all for responding!

makai

[Reid]

Hi Makai,

Thanks for writing back and I'm sorry for the delay in responding.

I can't believe that butterfish is so expensive there. We can buy it frozen for about $5.99 a pound when it's on sale here.

I'm glad you enjoy the site and thanks so much for the compliment. If there's anywhere that you'd like me to visit on your behalf, please let me know.

Hi Lance,

I've seen it called both black cod and butterfish for the same price. Usually Daiei or Foodland will have it on sale for about $5.99 a pound. Fresh butterfish is another story though.

Hi Kirk,

Must be expensive where you are. Don't know why though as I heard that most of the black cod/butterfish comes from Alaska.

Hi Makai,

You may want to try City Fish Co, which is at Pike Place Market. The black cod is $11.99 a pound and doesn't include shipping. I'm not sure how much it would cost to ship though. I can try to see if I can ship some to you if you'd like, but I'm not sure how much it would cost. I think the overnight shipping from Hawaii would be quite high even though you would save on the per pound fish price.

If you're interested, let me know and I can check with some people.

[makai]

Hello Reid,
Thank you so much for your offer! You are certainly most helpful and your Aloha spirit surely shines through!!! As much as I would like to get my hands on some butterfish, I just can't bear to have you go out of your way. I REALLY appreciate your offer though! Mahalo!

I still have family in Hawaii, and if I can't find a (cheap) source up here, I can ask one of them to send me some from Hawaii. Gee, $5.99/pound makes me jealous!

I'll keep searching up here (LA) for a while. Thanks for City Fish Co... I'll give them a call and see what they say about shipping.

[Kirk]

Hi Reid - You're right about black cod being expensive here - it usually hovers around $12.99-$17.99 a pound - that's why I only make misoyaki a few times a year - it's one of my wife's favorite dishes, otherwise I wouldn't make it at all....

[Kirk]

BTW, you can get Black Cod at 99 Ranch Market in LA & San Diego at a cheaper price, but I've found the quality to be terrible!

[makai]

Hi Kirk,
I was thinking of checking out Ranch99, but hadn't gotten out to Gardena lately. I'll check it out and hopefully the quality is ok... might vary by store. Thanks.

[Jo]

If you Google, you should look up butterfish and black cod. Depending on planetary positioning, they are very different fishes in very different places. There is a 3rd name (that I can't recall for the life of me now) that may sell for much less.

[Reid]

Hi Makai,

Don't worry about it, and it would be no trouble at all. I'll have to see about shipping as it might be a bit costly. But let me know if you change your mind.

Hi Kirk,

Too bad it's that expensive. Is the fish fresh or frozen? I don't often eat this at home as it usually takes too long. I'd rather just go out and eat it. =) Instant gratification.

Hi Makai,

I remember seeing black cod at the 99 Ranch Market in Industry. You might want to check there as well, if it's close to where you are.

Hi Jo,

You must be thinking sablefish. Butterfish and black cod are both misnomers...this fish is actually sablefish. Funny huh?