Miso Marinated Chilean Sea Bass
While looking at a picture of Maisons Akirs dish, I have this flash of inspiration. This is an Asian fusion recipe.
While looking at a picture of Maisons Akirs dish, I have this flash of inspiration. This is an Asian fusion recipe.
- Carbohydrate 4.4286299976722 g
- Cholesterol 45.92 mg
- Fat 9.62993 g
- Fiber 0.593781260209562 g
- Protein 21.8898218749915 g
- Saturated Fat 1.625395 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (134g)
- Sodium 468.352624999887 mg
- Sugar 3.83484873746264 g
- Trans Fat 0.592025000000001 g
- Calories 195 calories
Step-by-step
- Mix well the marinate ingredients in a small bowl.
- Smear the marinate onto the sea bass and let sit for 30+ minutes.
- Heat pan (medium heat) with a table spoon of olive oil.
- Heat the marinated sea bass on the heated pan for 2 minutes per side (or longer if it is a thick cut).
- Close the lid of the pan and let some of the steam to help to cook and keep the fish moist.
- Serve over a bed of freshly steamed vegetables (optional).
Scaling the Miso Marinade and Fish
Allowing the fish to sit in the marinade for at least thirty minutes gives the sodium in the white miso paste time to break down surface proteins through mild denaturing, which alters the texture before heat ever touches the flesh. When multiplying this formulation to feed a larger group, maintain a strict ratio of one tablespoon of white miso to one teaspoon of honey and two teaspoons of dry sherry wine to ensure the delicate balance of umami, sweetness, and acidity remains intact across multiple portions. Double or triple the olive oil proportionally in the pan when cooking larger batches to prevent sticking, but avoid overcrowding the cooking surface because trapped steam will prevent the exterior from forming a proper sear at medium heat. Because dense, fatty white fish absorbs salt rapidly through osmosis, keeping marinades measured precisely prevents the final dish from becoming overly salty when scaling up.
Controlling Heat and Moisture Retention
Searing the fillets for precisely two minutes per side before closing the pan lid traps ambient moisture and utilizes steam to cook the interior gently without drying out the high fat content inherent in Chilean sea bass. Monitoring the thickness of the cut is vital since exceptionally thick fillets require extended steaming time under the lid rather than higher burner temperatures, which would otherwise burn the sugars present in the honey and miso paste. While white miso provides the foundational savory depth found in traditional Japanese preparations that utilize sweet miso glazes on rich fish, substituting rex sole works well if sea bass is unavailable, provided you reduce the pan cooking time by half to account for the significantly thinner profile of the flatfish.
