CEIMB: Miso-Glazed Cod

So let me just start off by saying that I really did want to give this dish a chance. Really. I am by no means a fish eater. I do eat shrimp, but that is about as exotic as it gets as far as seafood on my plate. When this recipe for Miso-Glazed Cod came up this week in the rotation for Craving Ellie in My Belly, I was skeptical but optimistic. This recipe, chosen by Veggies and Valentino, seemed simple and straightforward, so I thought it would be a good way to try cod for the first time. Yes, you read right, Mom. I did try cod for the first time. But did I like it?

Well....I wanted to like it! I wanted to, so much. I just couldn't, though. We all tried it. My two little boys tried it; Evan threw it on the floor, and Xander declared that it tasted like fishy chicken. The real shocker was that Andy didn't even like it. I mean, he'll eat just about anything, and he did eat quite a bit of it, but he didn't actually enjoy it. He said, for one thing, that the glaze was overwhelmingly sweet. It was a simple glaze, made of miso paste, dark brown sugar, mirin, and sesame oil. I didn't think it was ridiculously sweet, but Andy swore it was almost sickening. I think the problem, when it comes right down to it, was in the preparation.



You see, Andy and I were both in the kitchen when this was being prepared, and we were both doing bits and pieces to get dinner ready. I forgot to tell him to pat the cod dry before applying the glaze. He didn't think to dry it, so the glaze was applied while the cod was not only slightly soggy, but it even had some ice particles still on it from the packaging. Oops. As a result, the glaze didn't caramelize or darken and the fish was falling apart when it came out of the oven. It was just too damp. I'd like to say it would be better if I'd followed the directions more completely, but I don't know if I'm brave enough to attempt this one again. For the cost of the big bag of miso I had to buy for this, plus the cost of the fish, it just wasn't worth it to us. Sorry, Ellie. This is the first time I've ever made one of your recipes and just couldn't like it.

I served this with Trader Joe's Vegetable Egg Rolls (yum!), and the side dish pictured in the cookbook alongside the cod. Sesame Stir-Fried Chinese Greens, made simply by quickly frying either bok choy or napa cabbage with rice vinegar, soy sauce, and sesame oil, didn't knock me out either. I mean, it was an okay side dish, but in the future I would probably mix it with some other types of stir-fry veggies, plus rice or udon noodles or something else. I'm glad I tried this meal, though. I can check off yet another item from my "to-try" list! Thanks to Veggies and Valentino for this week's pick!