MISO-CURED BLACK COD WITH CHILLED CUCUMBERS

Steps:

• Cod:
• Slice cod 3/4" thick, leaving skin on and bones in (the bones will slip right out when fish is cooked). Season very lightly with salt and place on a paper towel.lined baking sheet. Cover with another paper towel and chill 1 hour (this will draw out some moisture and any fishy flavors).
• Combine miso and mirin in a small bowl. Wet 2 paper towels (you can also use cheesecloth) with sake and squeeze out any excess. Spread half of miso mixture in a 13x9" baking dish in a thin, even layer. Cover with a sake-moistened paper towel. Arrange cod in a single layer on top. Cover with the other sakemoistened towel. Spread remaining miso mixture over towel. Cover; chill 3 days.
• Preheat broiler. Transfer cod to a rimmed baking sheet; discard miso mixture and paper towels. Broil cod until golden brown around the edges and cooked through, about 4 minutes. Let cool slightly, then pull out bones.
• Chilled cucumbers and assembly:
• Soak kombu in 2 cups cold water in a small saucepan at room temperature 2 hours, or chill up to 12 hours.
• Bring to a bare simmer over medium heat. Discard kombu and bring liquid to a boil. Add katsuobushi; simmer 1 minute (reduce heat if needed). Strain through a paper towel or cheesecloth-lined sieve into a small bowl; discard solids. Let dashi cool.
• Bring vinegar, sugar, and 2 tablespoons water to a boil in a clean small saucepan. Remove from heat and stir to dissolve sugar. Let sweet vinegar cool.
• Slice cucumbers in half lengthwise. If using Japanese cucumbers, scrape out seeds with a small spoon. Slice cucumbers into very thin half moons. Toss in a small bowl with a few pinches of salt. Let sit until salt begins to draw out water from cucumbers, about 5 minutes. Massage cucumbers, gently at first to keep them from breaking, then more vigorously as they start to expel water, until swimming in water. Rinse in several changes of water; squeeze out excess liquid. Place cucumbers in a clean small bowl and chill until cold, about 1 hour.
• After cucumbers have chilled 30 minutes, place ginger and 1 cup water in a small bowl; soak 30 minutes to soften its pungency. Drain.
• Add sweet vinegar and 3/4 cup dashi to cucumbers (reserve remaining dashi for another use). Season with salt. Divide cod among shallow bowls. Top with cucumbers and ginger. Pour any cucumber liquid over.
• Do Ahead
• Dashi and sweet vinegar can be made 1 day ahead; cover and chill separately. Chilled cucumbers can be made 1 day ahead; keep chilled.