The Best Gluten Free Misoyaki Butterfish

If I could have a choice of what my last meal would be, hands-down it would be this Japanese-style misoyaki butterfish. If you’ve ever had butterfish, you know that it isn’t cheap, but is totally worth the splurge! It’s a melt-in-your-mouth kind of meal that warms your soul a little bit with each and every bite.

I’m not exactly sure where the term “butterfish” came from because the fish is more widely known on the continental United States as “black cod.” Don’t be fooled, this recipe has absolutely NO BUTTER in it. My guess is that it is because of the fish’s naturally buttery texture.

*This recipe takes some patience because it needs TWO DAYS TO MARINADE. Yes, you read that correctly, two whole days. But don’t worry, you just let time do all the work for you!*

Where to Find Ingredients:

• All of these ingredients should be available at your local Asian supermarket (including the fish!)

Celiac Pro Tip: Look for Gluten Free Versions of These Ingredients

Click on each ingredient to learn more about gluten free brands and substitution ideas.

Misoyaki Butterfish (GF)

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Misoyaki Butterfish is one of my favorite dishes from Hawaii. The butterfish (black cod) is marinated for two days in a miso marinate and cooks in under ten minutes. Serve over rice with sautéed bok choy!

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 5 minutes mins

Marinating Time 2 days d

Total Time 2 days d 25 minutes mins

Servings 6 entrees

Equipment

• Dry Measuring Cups
• 1 Quart Sauce Pan
• Silicone Spatula
• Gallon Zip-Top Bag
• Baking Sheet

Ingredients 

• 1/3 Cup Sake (junmai or junmai-shu)
• 1/3 Cup Mirin
• 1/2 Cup White Sugar
• 1 Cup White Miso Paste (shiro miso)
• 6 4-6 oz Black Cod Fillets or Steaks

Instructions

Prepare the Marinade

• To make the marinade, combine the sugar and miso in a small pot over medium heat and boil for about 5 minutes. This is a very important step to ensure that the sugar doesn’t add a grainy texture to the fish.
• Reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and allow the marinade to cool to room temperature.

Marinate the Butterfish

• Place the pieces of black cod into a large gallon-sized zip-top bag along with the marinade. Be sure that the marinade is coated evenly over all of the fish pieces. Refrigerate for two days.

Cook the Butterfish

• After the fish has finished marinating, first, congratulate yourself on being so patient. Then, remove any excess marinade from each piece of fish (don’t worry, all of the flavors are inside of the fish, so be sure to clean off any excess).
• Turn the oven on to broil to quickly heat up the oven (we will pan fry the fish first).Heat a large frying pan with a drizzle of canola oil. Pan fry each fillet or steak for two minutes on each side. It is so important not to over-cook the fish, so be sure to set a timer!
• Place the fish on a greased baking sheet and broil for an additional 2-3 minutes. This will give the fish a nice caramelization. If you are unsure whether the fish is done cooking, poke a fork into the thickest part of the fish and twist gently. If the fish is undercooked, it will resist flaking and will look translucent.
• Share this meal with your friends and family and enjoy!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Japanese

Keyword Dairy Free, Fish, Gluten Free, Mirin, Miso Paste, Nut Free, Pescetarian, Sake