Cod Off the Grill

DEAR SOS: Can you obtain the recipe for the wonderful teriyaki cod served at Asakuma, a Japanese restaurant in Los Angeles?

--SEYMOUR

DEAR SEYMOUR: Those who love cod, or any grilled fish, will love the teriyaki marinade made with sake in this recipe. Any firm-fleshed fish may be substituted for cod. What a great barbecue season treat.

MARINATED GRILLED BLACK COD

1 cup sake

1 cup mirin (sweet cooking sake)

1 cup soy sauce

3/4 cup sugar

Juice of 2 oranges

6 (1/2-pound) Alaskan black cod fillets, skin on

Cook sake and mirin in large saucepan over medium heat 15 to 20 minutes, being careful sake and mirin do not ignite. Add soy sauce and sugar. Cool slightly, then add orange juice. Pour into shallow pan. Place cod in sake mixture, turning to coat all sides. Marinate in refrigerator overnight.

When ready to broil, place fish over grill or on broiler rack in oven. Cook under broiler or over coals until dark brown and well-glazed. Turn and grill on other side until dark brown. Fish is done if bone can be easily removed. (Do not heat in microwave.)

Serve skin-side down.

Makes 6 servings.

Each serving contains about:

393 calories; 3,045 mg sodium; 63 mg cholesterol; 1 gram fat; 49 grams carbohydrates; 36 grams protein; 0.02 gram fiber.

Pie Nostalgia Strikes

DEAR SOS: With all the fresh strawberries appearing in farmers markets, I suddenly became nostalgic for the fresh strawberry pie from the old Vickman’s (now long gone) in the Los Angeles Produce Market. Is there a chance of a recipe or something similar?

JEFF

DEAR JEFF: The simplicity of the Vickman’s strawberry pie is probably captured in this recipe. See if you agree. We are still hunting for our Vickman’s strawberry pie recipe.

GLAZED STRAWBERRY PIE

5 to 6 cups washed and hulled strawberries

1 cup sugar

3 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/2 cup water

1 (9-inch) baked pastry shell

Whipped cream, optional

Mash 2 cups strawberries. Mix sugar and cornstarch in 3-quart saucepan. Stir in water and mashed berries. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to boil. Boil 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Cool. Fold remaining berries into cooled mixture. Pile into pastry shell. Chill. Serve with whipped cream.

Makes 6 servings.

Each serving, without whipped cream, contains about:

439 calories; 101 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 18 grams fat; 68 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams protein; 0.75 gram fiber.