Shio Koji Black Cod + Spinach + Yuzu Butter & Red Caviar Sauce
From Guest Chef David LaForce:
Koji is made by fermenting a mixture of grain koji, salt and water. This creates a soup with a sweet, funky aroma. Shio koji is the decanted liquid in this process. It belongs in the same family as miso and soy sauce. And what I learned is that you can't talk about Asian cooking without talking about koji. It can be used as a marinade to both tenderize and flavor proteins or as part of a sauce. My absolute favorite way to have this is with black cod. The rich buttery-flavor of the fish pairs perfectly with the slightly sweet umami bomb that is the shio koji. I don't know if it's magic, but it's certainly part of my "secret ingredient" stash.
"I took four 6 oz black cod filets from @thepopsiefishco and in a non-reactive dish, marinated them in 680g of shio koji liquid. What you are looking for is a 2:1 ratio of fish to liquid by weight. This was marinated overnight. You can cook this multiple ways either in a 450° oven for around 10 minutes. But my preferred method is sous vide. I cooked this using my @anovaculinary circulator at 167° for 15 minutes. Once cooked, I used a kitchen torch to lightly caramelize the outside. For the sauce, I melted 2 sticks of butter with 2 grated garlic cloves. Once melted I removed from the heat and added 1 Tbsp of yuzu juice. You can add more if you want a bigger citrus punch. Before plating I tasted for seasoning and added chives and caviar."
