Swai was a new type of fish for me. I hesitated at first when I read it was in the catfish family, farmed in Vietnam because I’ve never been a big fan of catfish. But then my local grocery store advertised a really good price on it, so I decided to give it a try. Thank goodness for that grocery ad because it was delicious!

Swai (pronounced ‘s-why’) is a very mild white-flesh fish, typically sold frozen in boneless, skinless fillets so it’s extremely versatile like cod or whitefish, and it will compliment any flavor profile you pair with it. I decided to try a miso glaze for my first time out with some fish sauce, rice wine vinegar, and fresh ginger and it was wonderful! An empty platter at the end of a meal is a success in my book!

Ingredients:

1 pound fresh spinach, washed
1 pound swai fillets
1/4 cup miso
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup fish sauce
2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
Zest and juice from one lemon

Directions:

1) Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

2) Combine miso, olive oil, fish sauce, vinegar, soy sauce, sugar and ginger in a small bowl.

3) Place fish on a foil-lined baking sheet and lightly brush the fish with miso mixture.

4) Bake the fish 15 – 20 minutes, until it flakes easily with a fork.

5) While the fish bakes, place the spinach in a large sauté pan with a small amount of water and cook over medium heat until the spinach begins to wilt. Season the spinach with salt, pepper.

6) To serve, place the spinach onto a plate and arrange a portion of the fish on top. Garnish the fish with lemon zest and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.