JAPANESE-STYLE DISH IS A QUICK AND ELEGANT: DEEP-FRIED AUBERGINE WITH HALIBUT AND MISO

July 25, 2017

JAPANESE-STYLE DISH IS A QUICK AND ELEGANT: DEEP-FRIED AUBERGINE WITH HALIBUT AND MISO

Deep-fried aubergine with halibut and miso

Preparation time

less than 30 mins

Cooking time

10 to 30 mins

Serves

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 150ml/5fl oz white miso
• 150g/5oz caster sugar
• vegetable oil, for deep frying
• 2 aubergines, cut into 1-2cm/½-¾in cubes
• 2 tbsp roughly chopped fresh coriander
• 50g/2oz butter
• 500g/1lb 2oz halibut fillet, skin and pin bones removed, flesh cut into 8 pieces
• 100g/3½oz edamame beans

To serve

• 1 tbsp white sesame seeds
• 1 tbsp black sesame seeds
• 2 tbsp micro-cress, ideally a mixture of red amaranth and bronze fennel fronds

 

Directions: 

1. in a saucepan dissolve the miso and sugar in 50ml/2fl oz of water. 
2. Once the mixture is at a boil, proceed to Reduce the heat; simmer for 10 minutes, or once the color has darkened. Decant the mixture into an airtight container for up to a week.
3. in a heavy frying pan 180c or until a breadcrumb turns brown when dropped into the oil. Deep-fry diced aubergine, until golden-brown around 3 minutes. Remove from the oil, set aside to drain on a paper towel. Sprinkle chopped coriander on the halibut reserving the remaining for the aubergine/ eggplant and proceed to mix together.
4. Heat the butter (medium heat). When foaming, add the halibut pieces and fry on each side for 2 minutes, or until golden-brown. Add edamame beans into the pan and continue to fry for 1 minute.
5. Add sesame seeds and to serve, place aubergines onto a plate, gracefully arrange the edamame beans around and on the halibut and sprinkle the sesame seeds on top of the dish. Finish the dish with the halibut, liberally drizzle miso sauce on the fish, and garnish with mixed cress. Serve.

TOP 3 POKE TAKE-OUTS IN THE CITY OF LONDON

Originating in Hawaii (Poke means to “slice or cut” ) Poke is traditionally a salad containing raw fish and served as an appetizer but also at times adapted as a main course. Most dishes contain octopus (he’e) or oily Tuna (Tako). New adaptations have helped this dish become a global trend and mainly include Salmon, yellow fin tuna and various shellfish.

It won’t be long before everyone’s talking about getting a Poke Bowl for lunch so we compiled the Top 3 Poke destinations in London for you to POKE!.

AHI POKE

Sustainably sourced fish is used in the Hawaiian bowls at this contemporary take out restaurant.

3 Percy St, Fitzrovia, London W1T 1DF

4.4/5 STARS

Menu: ahipoke.co.uk

TOMBO – POKE & MATCHA BAR

Petite diner for made-to-order Hawaiian-style sushi bowls, plus matcha green tea drinks & desserts.

28 D'Arblay St, Soho, London W1F 8EW

4.3/5 STARS

BLACK ROE- LONDON

Low-lit, atmospheric spot offering Hawaiian-inspired raw fish & seafood dishes, plus grilled meats.

4 Mill St, Mayfair, London W1S 2A

Black cod with saikyo miso and sesame spinach

Preparation time

less than 30 mins

Cooking time

over 2 hours

Serves

Serves 4

Black cod with miso is a popular Japanese dish and would stand out as part of the main course a dinner party. The creamy white flesh of the cod is balanced beautifully with the sweet/salty miso paste.

By John Toro

Ingredients

• 4 black cod fillets, about 150–200g/5½–7oz each, pin-boned
• 4 stalks hajikami or 50g/1¾oz pickled ginger, to serve
• 50g/1¾oz lotus root or taro chips, to serve, optional

For the saikyo miso

• 50ml/2fl oz sake
• 100ml/3½fl oz mirin
• 400g/14oz white miso paste
• 125g/4½oz caster sugar

For the sesame spinach

• 200ml/7fl oz dashi stock or fish stock
• 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 1 tbsp caster sugar
• 500g/1lb 2oz large leaf spinach
• 50g/1¾oz sesame seeds

Method

1. To make the saikyo miso, put the sake, mirin, miso paste and sugar in a medium saucepan and bring to the boil over a high heat. Cook for a few minutes, until the sugar has dissolved. Leave to cool to room temperature.
2. Put the cod in a bowl and cover with the saikyo miso (reserving a little to garnish). Cover and leave to marinate at room temperature for 2–3 hours.
3. When you're ready to cook the cod, preheat the oven to 220C/200C Fan/Gas 7. Heat an ovenproof frying pan over a medium heat. Lift the fish fillets out of the marinade and cook them skin side-down in the pan for 2 minutes. Turn the fish over and roast in the oven for 6–8 minutes, or until cooked through and blackened.
4. Meanwhile, for the sesame spinach, bring the dashi stock to the boil in a large saucepan and add the soy sauce and sugar. Once the sugar has dissolved, add the spinach, stir and turn off the heat. Toast the sesame seeds in a dry frying pan until golden, then crush using a mortar and pestle. Drain the spinach, reserving the liquid, and squeeze out any excess moisture. Mix the spinach with almost all the toasted seeds and a little of the cooking liquor.
5. To serve, gather the spinach into a ball and top with the remaining sesame seeds. Serve with the cod and hajikami, with a few drops of the reserved saikyo miso on each plate.