One of my favorite restaurants is Roy’s. Hawaiian fusion, great cocktails, amazing food, friendly people. This recipe is for Butterfish, also known as Black Cod, also known as Sablefish. It can be little oily for my taste, but delicious prepared this way. It’s a locally sustainable fish, so I’m excited to add this recipe to my files.

Top: restaurant version Hibachi Grilled Salmon, Roy’s Original Blackened Island Ahi & Hawaiian Style Misoyaki Butterfish, Bottom: my version (before the sauce)

Hawaiian Style Misoyaki Butterfish With Kim Chee Lime Butter Sauce
Serves: 2
Active Time: 45 mins
Start to Finish: 1.5hrs (+ marinating)

7oz. butterfish

Miso Marinade
1 cup sake
1 cup mirin, a sweet Japanese beverage used mostly in cooking
1/2 lb sugar
1/2 lb miso paste

(Note: Marinade quantity is sufficient for several pieces of fish)

Kim Chee Lime Butter Sauce
3 tbsp olive oil
1 small sweet onion, chopped
1 tablespoon shallots, chopped
1 clove garlic
1/3 cup white wine
2 tsp fish Sauce
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
2 tbsp cream
2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
2 tbsps unsalted butter
1 tbsp kim chee sauce (when was the last time you hit up Chinatown?)
3 tbsp chili sauce

Preparation:

Combine marinade ingredients in small saucepan and simmer until it becomes a dark, caramel color. Authentic sake, mirin and miso can all be found at any market specializing in Asian foods. After marinade has cooled, submerse fish completely and refrigerate for 24 hours.

Using a small amount of the olive oil, sauté the onion, shallot and garlic, until they become translucent. Deglaze the pan with white wine and fish sauce, and then reduce by half. Add cream, lime juice and a pinch of cilantro. Reduce the mixture until it thickens and slowly blend in the kim chee sauce and butter. Strain sauce through a fine sieve or cheese cloth and then mix in 1 tablespoon of cilantro and the chili sauce.

Take the marinated fish and place it into a sauté pan on medium heat with a small amount of oil. Cook for 2 to 4 minutes on each side. Place fish on the center of the plate on top of your starch of choice. Ladle the Kim Chee Lime Butter Sauce around the fish and top with chopped cilantro.

While searching for this recipe, I came across Oh-So Yummy, take a peak, lots of restaurant recipes and reviews.