Impressing Your Man: Miso Chilean Sea Bass with Coconut Rice and Veggies

I dedicate this post to my new protege "Torrance," who recently discovered the divine truth to the adage "the way to a man's heart is through his stomach." She's on her way to becoming a wonderful cook. This dish is sure to wow the pants off her beau. The fish is easy peezy to prepare but requires a couple of days lead time to plan. Unfortunately I can't take credit for the recipe, as it's one of chef Nobu's famous creations, but I sure can steal it and pass it on. Here goes:

For the marinade, heat 1/2 cup of decent Sake (save the rest for the meal), 1/3 cup Mirin (Japanese cooking wine, find it on the asian food aisle), 1/3 cup of light miso paste (same aisle), and 1/8 cup of sugar. Whisk to dissolve miso paste and sugar, bring to just boiling, and simmer on low heat for 15 minutes. Let cool completely. Throw cooled sauce in ziploc bag and add your Chilean sea bass (2-4 filets). Black cod works great for this recipe as well. Suck the air out of the bag and place in a bowl in the refrigerator. Let the fish marinate for 2-3 days, turning the bag over in the fridge each morning or evening to make sure the fish is being evenly coated.

After 2 days the fish is perfect, or you can wait as long as 3 days. Place fish in a baking dish in a 400 degree oven for 15-20 minutes (depending on thickness), discard marinade. Do not overcook fish, it should be cooked until it's opaque on the edges and still slightly translucent in the center.

Side dishes are easy too. For the coconut rice, add 2/3 can of coconut milk (the light kind works well, less calories) to 1 cup of well-rinsed jasmine rice. Add 1/2 cup of water, a handful of frozen peas, and bring to boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer on low for 15 minutes.

For the veggies you can do baby bok choy (blanch in boiling water for 2 minutes, then saute with garlic, olive oil, and ginger), or steamed asparagus or Chinese broccoli. Brussel sprouts are my favorite. Boil sprouts for 5 minutes then rinse in cold water. Slice in half length-wise. Dice two slices of thick cut bacon and cook until nearly crispy, add diced shallots, a little olive oil if your bacon isn't fatty enough, the sliced sprouts, and salt and pepper. Saute until sprouts start to caramelize.

Plate artfully and serve with leftover sake or a good Riesling. Enjoy! I guarantee your man will be pleased as punch.