The Weekend Recipe: Pen Yen’s iconic Black Cod

Pen Yen, our flagship Japanese fusion restaurant, is now open at White City House in west London. First opened at Soho Farmhouse, where it was part of the offering from launch in 2015, Pen Yen has since become a member favourite. After limited pop-ups at various Houses, the restaurant has now found two more permanent homes at Shoreditch House (opened earlier this year) and now White City. To celebrate, we’ve spoken to the crack team of chefs to learn the recipe for one of the outpost’s most famous dishes, the iconic Pen Yen Black Cod. 

So, whether you’re in need of something to cook for your friends this weekend, or you just fancy taking on a culinary challenge for your solo Saturday supper, give this one a go. You won’t be disappointed. 

Pen Yen’s Black Cod
Serves four
Ingredients
4 fillets of black cod 
4 pieces of banana leaf, cut into rectangles 
Pickled ginger, for garnish
For the den miso marinade
1.12kg caster sugar 
2.25kg Hikari miso (white miso)
750ml saké
750ml mirin

To make the marinade
1. Combine the saké and mirin, and add to a pan. Heat it up, and when it starts to boil, cook off the alcohol by using a blowtorch. Once the flame has settled, reduce to a medium heat.
2. Add the sugar and miso, whisk together and make sure the sugar is dissolved.
3. After the miso and sugar has dissolved, use a stick blender to blend it until it’s a smooth glaze.  
4. Once the sauce has cooled down, you can use it for marinades, salads or simply for dipping.

Method
1. Dip the four fillets in the marinade and make sure both sides are fully covered. For the best results, marinade for 48 hours – it’ll give the best flavour. 
2. Preheat the oven to 180°C/ 350°F/ gas mark 4. Place the fish on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and bake until the skin is blistered and brown. After three minutes, turn it over and cook for another three minutes until you can see the bones coming out. 
3. Take the fish out of the oven and use a pair of tweezers to carefully pull out any bones. Once boneless, add some of the leftover marinade on top and place back in the oven for five to six minutes.
4. Once you see the miso sauce bubbling on the top, take the fish out of the oven. 
5. Carefully transfer the cod with a spatula onto a plate and garnish with the pickled ginger.
6. Serve with a bowl of steamed rice or a mixed leaf salad.