How to Make Microwaved Black Cod with Scallions and Ginger
This dish is adapted from a recipe by Margaret Lu, the mother of Johnny Zhu, head chef at Seattle's Veil restaurant. Ms. Lu's original recipe called for tilapia, but Johnny substituted cod. You can also use halibut fillets, sea bass, trout, or similar fish. Since the density of each fish varies, you may need to adjust the cooking time slightly.
Estimated Cooking Difficulty: ★★★
Essential Ingredients and Tools
Ingredients:
- Black cod, with skin
Seasonings:
- Scallions
- Ginger
- Cooking wine
- Soy sauce
- Sesame oil
- Peanut oil
Tools:
- Resealable plastic bag
Measurements
For 2 servings:
- Black cod, with skin, 2 fillets, 450g (the star of this recipe; adjust all seasonings proportionally based on the actual weight of the cod)
- Scallions, white parts only, 25g
- Scallions, green parts only, 10g
- Ginger, 13g
- Cooking wine, 5mL
- Soy sauce, 25mL
- Sesame oil, 2mL
- Peanut oil, 50mL
Instructions
- Place each fish fillet in a separate resealable bag, skin-side down on a plate.
- Slice 25g of the white parts of the scallions into thin strips. Peel and slice 10g of ginger into thin strips. Mix them together, divide in half, and place one half on top of the fish fillet inside each bag.
- Pour 2.5mL of cooking wine into each bag.
- Seal the bags tightly and microwave on medium power (800 watts) until the fish is opaque and flakes easily (about 3.5–5 minutes). Remove the fillets from the bags.
- Discard the scallions and ginger.
- Mix 25mL of soy sauce with 2mL of sesame oil, then drizzle evenly over the two fillets.
- Slice 10g of the green parts of the scallions into fine strips. Peel and slice 3g of ginger into thin strips. Mix them together, divide into two portions, and sprinkle over the fillets.
- Heat 50mL of peanut oil in a small pan until it reaches 190°C.
- Pour the hot oil over the scallion- and ginger-topped fillets and serve immediately.
Additional Notes
Using Sea Bass, Tilapia, Halibut, or Snapper
| Fish Type | Cut | Weight | Microwave Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sea Bass | Whole | 450g | 6.5 minutes |
| Tilapia | Whole | 800g | 6 minutes |
| Halibut | Fillet | 170g | 2.25 minutes |
| Snapper | Fillet | 170g | 1.5 minutes |
Other Variations
- For a more intense aroma, rub a mixture of scallions, ginger, and cooking wine evenly over both sides of the fish fillets before microwaving.
If you encounter any issues or have suggestions for improving the process while following the guidelines in this document, please open an Issue or submit a Pull request.