Name: Sweet Miso Pacific Halibut Cheek Skewers with Tare Dipping Sauce
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 2 to 3 servings
Ingredients: 1 (12-ounce) package Pacific Halibut Cheeks, cut into bite-sized (1-inch) pieces; 3 tablespoons white miso; 3 tablespoons mirin + ⅔ cup for tare sauce; 2 teaspoons sake + ⅓ cup for tare sauce; 2 teaspoons brown sugar + ¼ cup for tare sauce; 3 teaspoons soy sauce or tamari + ⅔ cup for tare sauce; 1 small bunch scallions, green parts finely sliced and white parts cut into 1-inch pieces; 10 ounces (about 1 ½ cups) cherry tomatoes; ½ white onion, finely diced; One 1-inch piece ginger, peeled and minced; 2 garlic cloves, minced; ¼ teaspoon togarashi or other chili powder; Lime wedges, for serving

A Fancy Fish Skewer

Miso-marinated Pacific Halibut Cheek skewers have the flavor and feel of a Japanese yakitori-style meal. Yakitoki restaurants bring mind to the joy of eating food on skewers, the appetizing char of the grill, and delicious sauce to dip things on. These Pacific Halibut Cheek skewers are served alongside a glazy, sweet, savory tare dipping sauce (pronounced “TAH-reh”) that’s ubiquitous in Japanese cuisine.

Compared to meaty and mild fillet cuts of Pacific halibut, Pacific Halibut Cheeks are sweet and delicate. These qualities give these fish skewers incredible nuance in texture and flavor. “I think these skewers are very family friendly,” said Chef George, noting how the marinade transforms the fish into something that even seafood skeptics will enjoy.

This recipe requires an overnight marination, which keeps these unique cuts of fish moist and marinates them in sweet, savory flavor. Plus, the mix of sugars in the miso marinade — brown sugar, mirin, and even the residual sugars in white miso — give the fish lots of potential to develop just the right amount of char under the broiler.

About Chef George Pramatarov:

George Pramatarov is a chef based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Over the past decade, he has worked at several award-winning restaurants including St. Genevieve, Hai Hai, Grand Cafe, and Petite Leon—recently included in New York Times's 50 Favorite Restaurants of 2022. Born and raised in Bulgaria, George moved to the United States at age 14 and is equally influenced by Bulgarian, French, and American cuisine. Through cooking food and creating recipes, he is continually revisiting the feeling of home. When not cooking, George unwinds with his partner, Sara, and their crazy beagle at the family lakeside cabin in Wisconsin.

Print Recipe

Sweet Miso Pacific Halibut Cheek Skewers with Tare Dipping Sauce

By Wild Alaskan Company

Prep time

25 minutes

Cook Time

35 minutes

Total time

60 minutes

Yield

2 to 3 servings

Ingredients

1 (12-ounce) package Pacific Halibut Cheeks, cut into bite-sized (1-inch) pieces
3 tablespoons white miso
3 tablespoons mirin + ⅔ cup for tare sauce
2 teaspoons sake + ⅓ cup for tare sauce
2 teaspoons brown sugar + ¼ cup for tare sauce
3 teaspoons soy sauce or tamari + ⅔ cup for tare sauce
1 small bunch scallions, green parts finely sliced and white parts cut into 1-inch pieces
10 ounces (about 1 ½ cups) cherry tomatoes
½ white onion, finely diced
One 1-inch piece ginger, peeled and minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
¼ teaspoon togarashi or other chili powder
Lime wedges, for serving

Instructions

1. Place Pacific Halibut Cheek pieces in a resealable bag. In small bowl, whisk together miso, 3 tablespoons mirin, 2 teaspoons sake, and 2 teaspoons sugar. Add mixture to bag and massage over fish to fully coat. Leave to rest in refrigerator overnight.

2. The day of serving, take cheeks out of refrigerator and bring to room temperature.

3. Meanwhile, prepare tare dipping sauce. In a medium saucepan, mix onion, garlic, and ginger with remaining mirin, sake, soy sauce, brown sugar, and togarashi. Whisk to combine. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions have softened and begun to brown, about 25 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool, then add in green parts of scallions.

4. Arrange top rack in oven to be 4 to 6 inches from broiler element. Preheat broiler. Meanwhile, prepare the skewers. Begin threading skewers with a white portion of scallion, tomato, and chunk of fish until the skewers are full, about 3 pieces of onions, 3 tomatoes and 2 pieces of fish.

5. Line a baking sheet with foil, then place a rack on it. Arrange skewers on rack and place under broiler. Cook for 3 minutes, and then rotate pan and cook until parts of fish are nicely browned, about 3 more minutes.

6. When done, transfer skewers to serving platter with tare sauce and lime wedges. Serve immediately.

Consuming raw or undercooked meats, poultry, seafood, shellfish, or eggs may increase your risk of food-borne illness, especially if you have a certain medical condition. The FDA recommends an internal temperature of 145°F for cooked fish.

Sweet Miso Pacific Halibut Cheek Skewers with Tare Dipping Sauce

A Fancy Fish Skewer

Sweet Miso Pacific Halibut Cheek Skewers with Tare Dipping Sauce

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