This is a recipe that I have been wanting to do since before we filmed Masterchef season 12 in 2021. Unfortunately, I haven’t had the time to purchase a whole cod, filet it, and set up the tea smoker all in one go, mostly because of laziness, so that’s why it took forever to get this post up and out. During 2020 and parts of 2021, I really got into tea-smoking things. To smoke things in tea requires you to line a pan, preferably a nonstick, with aluminum foil, then turn off rice, tea, and sugar until smoke forms. From there, you put on top either a grate and a tall lid that can contain all of the smoke, or a heatproof, preferably metal, steamer basket. You can put whatever you are trying to smoke into that basket, which then will help you cook and impart smoke flavor into that ingredient. I use tea smoking for a lot of things, namely fruits, meats, and fish. With fish specifically, you have to be delicate with it, since the smoking process does not crisp up the skin whatsoever. Meaning that if you are serving a smoked fish filet with the skin-on, you will need to crisp up the skin on the fish first, then smoke it. Additionally, tea smoking can impart a really strong flavor onto things. I had a couple test runs with the black cod, since my filets were on the thinner side, and I found that 2-3 minutes worked best. When I tea-smoked them for 5 minutes, without searing the skin, the fish was already fully-cooked, and the smoke was very overpowering. Another factor is the kind of tea you smoke with. Each tea has a distinct aroma that really does get imparted when you smoke with it. I used barley tea for this specific recipe because of the pleasant aroma it has, especially when paired with miso, giving whatever you smoke it in a nutty fragrance! Just things to note for the future if you attempt to make this recipe!

When it came to the concept of this dish, it was an homage to a hinoki-smoked miso cod I had years ago at Hinoki and the Bird. The cod was charbroiled and smoked in hinoki(cyprus) wood, giving it this gorgeous aroma and smell. I decided to do something similar to that process, but using a tea smoker instead – mostly because I do not own a smoking gun, so a tea smoker is the next best thing. I basically made a miso cod, marinating it and everything, then crisped the skin, and finished it in the smoker. Since I fileted a whole fish, I used the carcass and bones to make a stock to serve it in, and pickled some vegetables, just to add some bright components. Miso cod is usually served with pickled ginger, so I pickled vegetables, and garnished with some fresh ginger as an homage to that. Like I mentioned already, this is a rather laborious recipe. You have to filet the fish, de-bone the filets, marinate them overnight, and set up a tea smoker. These processes can be very messy potentially, so try your best to keep organized. If you want to skip using the whole fish, and use prepped filets(hopefully without the idiotic pinbones in them and the skin already scaled), just substitute the carcass with 1oz bonito flakes, and 1 tbsp instant dashi. It’ll be close enough, and would probably save you a lot of time. The beautiful thing about black cod is that it is buttery, and it takes a while to overcook, so it can hold up to the two different cooking processes. The portion I plated was on the smaller side, but you can comfortably make enough for 8 servings of that size with this recipe, or basically enough food for 2-4 people, depending!

Makes enough for 8 servings:
For the cod:
1 2-pound black cod, scaled and gutted
3 tbsp miso paste
2 tbsp mirin
1 tsp granulated sugar
1 tsp sake*
oil

Filet the cod, and remove the pin bones using a pair of tweezers. Reserve the carcass and bones, as you will be using that in the dashi broth. In a bowl, mix together the miso, mirin, sugar, and optionally, the sake. Cut the cod filets into 4 portions each, or 8 pieces in total, and store, skin side up, in the marinade for 1 day, in the refrigerator. Wipe off the excess marinade using paper towels, keeping the filets as dry as possible. Then score the skin, and drizzle onto the skin some oil. Sear the cod in a heated nonstick pan, skin side down, for at least 2 minutes, or until the skin is crisped. Flip onto the flesh side and transfer to the smoker, lined with parchment on the bottom. Smoke for 2 minutes, but no longer than 3.

For the tea smoker:
3 tbsp granulated sugar
1/4 cup dried rice
2 tea bags of barley tea

Line a nonstick pan with two layers of aluminum foil. Add in the other ingredients. Heat on high heat until the sugar begins to burn, then lower the heat. Cover the top of the pan with either a bamboo or metal steamer.

For the dashi:
Reserved cod bones and carcass
5g kombu
1 dried matsutake mushroom
2 dried shiitake mushrooms
2 tbsp mirin
1 tsp rice wine vinegar
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tea bag of barley tea
1/2 cup water

In a pot, heat everything up on medium low heat, covered, for 20 minutes. Pass through a sieve, lined with a cheese cloth, and store that liquid in an airtight container, and refrigerate it. Reheat the broth when ready to serve.

For the pickles:
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp mirin
1 tsp granulated sugar
a pinch of salt
2 tbsp water
2 Thumbelina carrots, cut lengthwise
3 breakfast radishes, cut lengthwise
1 shallot, cut lengthwise

In a pot, heat up the vinegar, mirin, sugar, salt, and water. Then pour the liquid over the vegetables, in an airtight container. Seal the container, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

To garnish:
Fresh ginger, peeled and sliced into thin strips
Nasturtium leaves
Borage flowers

In a bowl, start with the vegetable pickles first. Then pour in the dashi broth, place down your fish, and finish with the other garnishes on top.