Plum miso cod with mushroom tempura

Name: Plum miso cod with mushroom tempura
Total time: 45 min
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 100ml sake; 100ml mirin; 100ml plum wine; 400g white miso paste; 225g golden caster sugar; 4 × 150g (very fresh pieces) cod or sea bass fillets; to serve (optional) bamboo leaf; to serve (garlic chives work well) chives; 1 egg yolk; 100g plain flour, plus extra for coating; 100ml sparkling water, very cold oil for frying; 200g shimeji mushrooms, oyster or enoki mushrooms)

Preparation and cooking time
- Total time45 mins
- + marinating time
A little effort
Serves 4

Ingredients

100ml sake
100ml mirin
100ml plum wine
400g white miso paste
225g golden caster sugar
4 × 150g (very fresh pieces) cod or sea bass fillets
to serve (optional) bamboo leaf
to serve (garlic chives work well) chives

mushroom tempura

1 egg yolk
100g plain flour, plus extra for coating
100ml sparkling water, very cold oil for frying
200g shimeji mushrooms, oyster or enoki mushrooms)

Method

STEP 1
Put the sake, mirin and plum wine in a pan and bring to the boil. Being very careful, flame the alcohols using a match, then let the flame burn out (keep a pan lid handy just in case). Add the miso paste and sugar and stir over a low heat until dissolved. Cool. Reserve 100ml of the liquid for finishing the dish. Put the pieces of cod in a bowl and cover with the rest of the liquid. Leave to marinate overnight.
STEP 2
Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Wipe any excess marinade from the cod. Put on a piece of oiled foil in a baking dish and roast for about 10 minutes, then slide under a hot grill to give a golden finish.
STEP 3
To make the mushroom tempura, lightly mix the egg yolk and plain flour with enough sparkling water to make a light batter the consistency of double cream – don’t worry if there are lumps. Heat a wok or pan with a good depth of oil (up to a third full). Dip the mushrooms in some flour, then the batter. Fry until golden. Drain on kitchen paper. Put the cod on the bamboo leaf (if using), drizzle with the reserved marinade and serve with the mushroom tempura and a few chives to decorate.