Miso Marinated Hake with Cucumber-Horseradish Sauce
If you were to peek into my fridge, you’d see the typical kitchen staples; milk, eggs, butter, and cheese. Then if you looked on the top shelf, you’d encounter a vast array of tubs and jars filled with not so ordinary ingredients that I impulsively grabbed during trips to the market. You never know what you’re going to find up there. My most recent adventure has been into the world of miso. Miso is amazing and trust me, it’s not like the complimentary, cloudy, dishwater soup that you get at cheap sushi joints, with floating cubes of tofu in it. Miso comes in the form of a thick, flavorful paste used for sauces, stocks, or marinades.
This traditional Japanese seasoning is made by fermenting rice, barley, and soybeans with salt and a special fungus called kojikin. The fermenting process, and the decisions made during this process are very similar to wine making. Hundreds of contributing factors create different tastes and aromas to the final product. I chose a red miso that has been aged for one year in four ton wood vats. The result is an earthier taste with some dried fruit aromas. I dissolved a few tablespoons of the red miso paste into some white wine and sugar to create my marinade that had a texture of cake batter (you don’t need any salt because the miso paste itself is relatively salty).
Hake is a fish that is very similar to Cod and is native of Ireland. Some say that it followed the immigrants over and is now most abundant off the coasts of Cape Cod. The texture is almost identical but it has a slightly sweeter taste to the flesh.
This fish was the perfect choice to suck up all of the flavors in the marinade in roughly forty-five minutes. While the Hake was enjoying its Miso spa treatment, I started making my cucumber-horseradish sauce. Fresh horseradish is one of my favorite roots because of its sweet taste that lures you in before it tomahawks you with nasal cleansing heat. Its similar to wasabi, in that it can be eaten raw or more typically grated into a paste (or into an awesome Bloody Mary).
I peeled and seeded the cucumbers before I tossed them into a food processor with organic Greek yogurt, salt, pepper, and tons of lemon zest. The yogurt loses some of its thickness but turns a beautiful pastel green color.
I then grated in some of the fresh horseradish, giving it some fire which is quickly cooled down by the cucumber-beautifully balanced. Marinaded meat and fish make it hard to obtain a nice sear, so I decided to broil the fish with some black sesame seeds on top. The extra sugar in the marinade created a sticky crust on the fish, protecting the inside from drying out. I had a dream the other night about this cold salad that I wanted to create, and this was my chance to test it out.
I thinly diced up three bunches of broccolini (the broccoli with thelong stems resembling asparagus, and the tiny florets) and tossed them in a bowl with some sliced, red jalapeno for some heat. I dressed the raw salad with rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, sesame seeds, and a splash of soy and lemon juice. The combination of flavors were intense… the heat from the jalapeno, and the nutty flavors in the oil and seeds, paired nicely with the bitter, raw broccoli.
I had plenty leftover to which I added 2 cans of tuna for tuna sandwiches the next day (the sandwich was gold medal worthy, if sandwich making was an Olympic sport). When the fish was ready, I plated it with the cold sauce and cold salad which was a nice contrast in temperature.
I chose an interesting wine to serve with this meal, with a back label that resembles the top shelf of my refrigerator. The 2008 Clayhouse Adobe White is a blend of seven different grapes; 22% Viognier, 18% Sauvignon Blanc, 17% Grenache Blanc, 16% Roussanne, 6% Chardonnay, and 5% Chenin Blanc. That only equals 84% you say…. what is the last 16% of juice in this hodge podge bottle? A grape that is named after Super Mario’s crush. 16% of Princess is the final blending grape that technically is not allowed to be listed on the label because it is not yet an approved varietal by the federal government.
This wine has so much going on, from orange blossom aromas to pumpkin pie spice in the finish. It’s medium in body and has a beautiful golden color to it. Tons of apple and stone fruit fill your mouth, followed by a creamy finish with a hint of residual sugar. The wine reminded me of the miso paste…. rich and concentrated with boatloads of different layers of flavors.
The red miso gave the fish a unique sweet and earthy flavor without over powering it. The hake was still moist and flaky in the center, but every bite of the crust added a new sensation with a little Asian flair to it. The chilled sauce was refreshing and kept the meal light and healthy. If miso paste is too adventurous for you, at the very least, try this spicy broccolini tuna salad or the Clayhouse Adobe White… the Princess is worth it.
