"I looked in seven local cookbooks and couldn't find a recipe," said Yee, a former Farrington High School teacher who works with Hawaii Audubon Society.
"It's so expensive in the markets," she said about butterfish already marinated in a miso mixture and priced at $11 or more a pound.
This compares to frozen plain butterfish available this week for about $4.99 at Daiei and Foodland, and $5.99 at Star Markets.
4 fillets (5 ounces each) butterfish (can substitute ahi, aku or other fish)Combine marinade ingredients and marinate fish in a covered container overnight in refrigerator.
Marinade:
2/3 cup miso
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger or to taste, optional
1 tablespoon wine or mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine), optional
If desired, use a butter knife to scrape off extra miso from fish. Hibachi-grill fish to desired doneness.
Or, arrange butterfish in a loosely closed packet of aluminum foil and place the packet in a dry frying pan.
Cook over low heat for 7 minutes; then use a spatula to gently turn fish over and cook for 8 more minutes or until fish starts to flake.
If cooking ahi, aku or other fish, fry in 2 tablespoons canola or other vegetable oil 5 or 6 minutes on each side.
Remove fish to a serving plate and, if desired, add sliced eggplant, bell peppers, green beans or other vegetables to pan and cook in leftover miso sauce.
Makes 4 servings.
Approximate nutritional analysis per serving butterfish and marinade: 350 calories, 14 grams total fat, 5 grams saturated fat, 90 milligrams cholesterol, 1,800 milligrams sodium. Per serving with 1/2 of miso scraped off: 300 calories, 13 grams total fat, 5 grams saturated fat, 90 milligrams cholesterol, 960 milligrams sodium.
Per serving ahi and miso: 350 calories, 11 grams total fat, 1.5 grams saturated fat, 65 milligrams cholesterol, 1,720 milligrams sodium. Per serving ahi with 1/2 of miso scraped off: 305 calories, 10 grams total fat, 1 gram saturated fat, 65 milligrams cholesterol, 880 milligrams sodium.*
4 pieces butterfish (5 ounces each)Blend sauce ingredients; soak butterfish in sauce overnight. Heat a little oil in a skillet and fry butterfish on low heat. To serve, heat remaining sauce and pour over butterfish. Makes 4 servings.
1/4 cup miso
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup beer, optional
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 clove garlic, grated
Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 255 calories (with beer, add 10 calories), 12 grams total fat, 5 grams saturated fat, 90 milligrams cholesterol, 1,680 milligrams sodium.*
