Coconut Miso Fish

• servings: 4 servings
• active time: 10 minutes
• total time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

4 cod loins or fillets (around 150g each), or any flaky white fish

vegetable oil

1 onion

4 garlic cloves

20g fresh ginger

4 tsp white miso paste (or more, to taste)

2 x 400g tins good-quality coconut milk (minimum 70% coconut)

1 tbsp light soy sauce

1 tbsp mirin

small handful fresh coriander, chopped

lime wedges and chilli oil, to serve

Directions

Season the cod fillets with salt on both sides and refrigerate for 30 minutes. This step not only seasons the fish but also firms up its flesh, reducing the chance of it breaking apart while poaching.

Meanwhile, prepare the aromatics: thinly slice the onion, garlic and ginger. If you don’t feel like chopping, you can coarsely chop them in a food processor instead.

Heat a splash of vegetable oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, or until softened.

Add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring occasionally, for another 5 minutes.

Add the miso paste and cook, stirring frequently, for 1 minute, then add the coconut milk, light soy sauce and mirin, stirring to combine. Don’t worry if the miso paste doesn’t fully dissolve immediately–it will melt into the broth as it cooks.

Bring the broth to a simmer over medium-high heat, then cover, reduce the heat to low/medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the cod fillets to the coconut miso broth, then cover and cook until the cod fillets are just cooked through, 5 to 8 minutes depending on their thickness. When done, the flesh will flake when gently pressed.

To serve, carefully transfer the cod fillets to a shallow serving bowl, then ladle the broth over the top. Finish with the fresh coriander and an optional drizzle of chilli oil. I recommend serving this with rice (it soaks up all of that deliciously fragrant coconut broth), a side of steamed veg and a few lime wedges for squeezing over.