What do you Wine Pair with Miso Black Cod?

Martin’s sous vide miso black cod and applying the Searzall flame to finish.

If you’ve been to Nobu, you know that the classic Japanese delicacy, miso black cod, is one of their signature dishes.  Made famous by master chef Nobu Matsuhisa, every bite of this creamy white masterpiece is lightly sweet and salty, with a buttery and delicate, flaky texture that simply melts in your mouth.

Recently, our friends, Martin and EJ, made their version of delicious miso black cod for us with a side of broccolini and shiitake. This dish is usually soaked and marinated in a white miso, mirin, sake concoction for 2-3 days. White miso is a sweet and mild paste made with fermented soybean and rice that lends  a nice umami flavor. Mirin is a sweet and slightly tangy rice wine for cooking. Drinking sake provides some sweetness and brines the fish. In his preparation, Martin first used the sous vide to cook the fish and then applied the Searzall flame to finish. The result...incredible flavor from very few, high quality ingredients. Just how it should be!

Now, you might think that as a fish dish, the obvious pairing would be any white wine. Well, think again.

This is a tough pairing and sommeliers disagree widely.  Chardonnay? Not quite. Maybe sauterne? Might be too sweet. What about  a late harvest (Vendange Tardive), sweeter Riesling or Gewürztraminer, or even a fruitier Pinot Noir? Yes, red wine can pair with fish. Because the fish is heavier and richer, you want to cut it with acidity for some balance.  And in hindsight, maybe a sweeter bubbly might go well with the miso black cod too.

The answer to our query about the perfect pairing comes from the  rule of thumb with cooking: the wine you use in your dish should also be used in your pairing. So after all that,  the best choice is sake!

Kanpai! Cheers!