Misoyaki Butterfish is a classic Hawaii dish. Impressive, delicious, and easy to make. Just marinate butterfish (black cod) overnight in a miso marinade, then bake in the oven and eat with rice ^_^
What Is Misoyaki Butterfish?
Misoyaki Butterfish is one of my all-time favorite local Hawaii dishes. It's made from black cod marinated in white miso, sake, mirin, and sugar. Marinate for 1-3 days, and then bake it in the oven!
It's one of those dishes that look fancy and impressive but is easy to make.
Misoyaki Butterfish also goes by other names:
- Miso Butterfish (most common and what we typically call it in Hawaii)
- Hawaiian Butterfish
- Miso Black Cod
You know Nobu's famous Miso Black Cod dish? I remember when it became a huge thing in the 90s and everyone on the mainland was crazy about it. Over here in Hawaii, we were thinking that was quite strange because we've been eating this same dish for many years already! Only we call it Miso Butterfish ^_^
What Is Butterfish
Here is the confusing part.
Misoyaki Butterfish is not made with an actual butterfish. The word butterfish references the super silky and buttery taste of the fish.
Misoyaki Butterfish is made with black cod! Black cod is the common name for Sablefish (Gindara in Japanese). And now, thanks to Hawaii and the popularity of this dish, butterfish is also another name for black cod.
If you go to any Hawaii supermarket and ask for butterfish, they will know exactly what you're asking for. If you go to a supermarket on the mainland and ask for butterfish, they will be very confused. When in doubt, ask for black cod.
Black cod is one of my favorite types of fish. It's a white fish that's high in fat (lots of omega-3!) and very rich and silky in texture. Black cod is also popular among people who claim to not like fish because it's less "fishy tasting" than other types of fish like tuna or salmon. Another bonus: because of the high fat content, it's slightly more forgiving when it comes to cooking. You don't need to be as worried about overcooking black cod.
The Marinade
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This dish has two components: the fish and the marinade.
Because of that, the marinade is extra important! Luckily it only calls for four ingredients that are already in the kitchen pantry of many local homes:
To make the marinade, just combine mirin, sake, and sugar in a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil (stir to dissolve the sugar). Turn the heat to low and add the white miso.
Use a whisk to help break up the miso so that you get a beautiful, smooth marinade. Simmer for 5-10 minutes until the marinade is a light caramel color.
Then remove from heat and set aside to cool completely before using.
What Else Can You "Misoyaki"
Black cod is the "classic" fish to use for this recipe, but you can use this marinade with many other types of fish. Just make sure to use a fatty fish like:
- Salmon
- Seabass
You can even use this marinade for chicken! I like to make it with chicken thighs.
Misoyaki Butterfish in Hawaii
Miso butterfish is so common in Hawaii...you can even buy it at Costco Hawaii!
Costco sells the fish already marinated. All you have to do is remove the marinated fillets from the package and bake it in the oven.
Nearly all Japanese (and many local) restaurants in Hawaii offer miso butterfish on the menu. Takeout spots include it in a bento. Fancy restaurants offer miso butterfish a la carte. Casual restaurants often feature it as part of a dinner set.
Everyone (even people who claim they don't like fish ;), loves miso butterfish.
Tips
The recipe calls for baking at 450F and then putting it in the broiler for the last few minutes. If you want to skip broiling, you can just bake it at 450F the entire time...it won't get that beautiful caramelize top (along with the deep color), but will still be very onolicious.
Don't just wash the fish with water. Wash and then make sure to pat it completely dry. Because the fish can be marinated up to three days, both the marinade and fish go bad if there is still water clinging onto the fish.
Yes!! I often make "miso butterfish for one" and just do it in the toaster often. Use the same 450F and the broil instructions. Easy and very little clean up.
This is a miso-based marinade. Miso burns easily. Because we cook the fish at a high temperature, you want to remove excess marinade off the fish before cooking. Do not wash off the marinade, just use your hands to remove the marinade.
Misoyaki Butterfish Recipe
This is our favorite recipe for butterfish and one that has been passed around between many family and friends! See below and enjoy ^_^
Misoyaki Butterfish
Misoyaki Butterfish is a classic Hawaii recipe (you can even buy it at Costco Hawaii!) It's call butterfish, because the texture is rich and buttery. Just marinate black cod fillets in this miso marinade, then cook in the oven.
Ingredients
- Four black cod fillets (6-8 ounces each)
- ½ cup mirin
- ½ cup sake
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup white miso
Instructions
- Make the marinade. Combine mirin, sake, and sugar in a saucepan. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil and then turn the heat to low.
- Add the white miso. Simmer and whisk for 5-10 minutes until the marinade is smooth and caramel in color. Remove from heat and let cool completely.
- Wash and pat dry the black cod fillets (make sure it is completely dry). Place all four filets into a large Ziploc bag. Pour the cooled marinade over the fish. Seal the bag and marinate in the refrigerator for 1-3 days.
- When you’re ready to eat, wipe (do not rinse) excess marinade from the fish. Cook in the oven at 450F for 5-8 minutes. Then broil for 1-2 minutes, until the top is deeply caramelized and golden.
- Eat with rice! Enjoy ^_^
Should I skin before cooking or leave the skin on?
I'm a bit of a lazy chef. is there a way to make parts of this ahead and save for later? Could a large batch of misoyake marinade be made in advance and stored in fridge or freezer? Could fresh, never frozen fish be marinated in a large batch and then frozen for later use?
Cooking for 1 sucks...
Does it really take 1 cup white miso? The miso you provided a link to says the serving size is one tablespoon.
I’ve made miso butterfish several times and used only 1/4 cup white miso, 1/4 cup mirin, 1/4 cup sake, 2 TBS sugar. If you want it a bit sweeter add another Tablespoon of sugar. This was enough to marinate 2 or 3 (8-oz) filets of sablefish. The recipe can be doubled for 4 filets but it’s still less than 1 whole cup of miso.
Can we grill the fish as prepared? If so, any recommendations on temperature/procedure/time?
Is there a substitute for sake? Or can I omit completely?
Shaka! Mahalo! Growing up in Hawai’i we marinated our Butterfish 3/4” steaks over night with sugar and Aloha Shoyu. So Onolicious!
Will this also work for salmon? I realize cod and salmon have very diff textures, but the cod I bought wasn't as fresh as I thought it was and didn't want to risk eating it! Already made the marinade but only have salmon in the freezer.
@Keri,
Misoyaki is also popular with salmon too.
how long can you marinade butter fish with store bought miso sauce?
Hi, The recipe calls for white miso but the miso in the link provided is red+white miso. Do you prefer the red+white over just white?
Thanks!Amanda
Red miso is quite salty and it has a stronger flavor. To get a taste similar to a restaurant, try to use just a white miso or Saikyo type miso from an Asian store.
Is there a substitution for the sugar? I would like to make this but my husband is diabetic
@Bridjette, you may be able to use monk fruit but I’d use half the amount
I prepared the full recipe of marinate . Since I only marinated 1/2 lb fish . I’m going to use the rest with chicken thighs, so do I have to wipe off marinade as well ? What is the oven temp and time for bone in thighs?
Fantastic!