Dabiz Muñoz-Style Cod: Rule-Breaking DiverXO Fusion

Who is Dabiz Muñoz?

Dabiz Muñoz is the enfant terrible of Spanish cuisine. With three Michelin stars at DiverXO (Madrid) and the title of Best Chef in the World by The Best Chef Awards on multiple occasions, he has built a culinary empire that defies all conventions.

His cuisine is a sensory journey where Spain, Asia, and Latin America collide. Soy sauce with paprika from La Vera, kimchi with chorizo, wasabi with olive oil. What others would consider madness, Dabiz turns into dishes that make you rethink everything you thought you knew about food.

Cod, a profoundly Spanish ingredient, is for Dabiz a blank canvas crying out to be reinvented. In his kitchens, cod has traveled to Tokyo, Bangkok, and Mexico City without leaving Madrid.

The DiverXO philosophy applied to cod

DiverXO is defined by three principles that apply directly to this recipe:

• Extreme contrast: sweet + salty + acidic + umami in every bite. The cod provides the saline and protein base; the teriyaki sauce, the sweetness; the lime, the acidity; the ginger, the fresh spiciness.
• Impossible textures: crunchy + silky + gelatinous in the same dish. Soft confit cod, crispy fried skin, and a sauce that envelops with creaminess.
• Punk aesthetic: the dishes are not conventionally beautiful. They are impactful, provocative, designed for your brain to process the visual before the flavor arrives.

This recipe is inspired by Dabiz Muñoz's technique and style. It is not a literal reproduction, but our interpretation based on his teachings and culinary philosophy.

Ingredients for 4 people

Step-by-step recipe: DiverXO fusion cod

Step 1 — Prepare the homemade teriyaki sauce. In a small saucepan, mix the soy sauce, mirin, and honey. Heat over medium heat, stirring until it boils. Reduce heat and cook for 5-7 minutes until slightly thickened and you can draw a line with a spoon on the back of it. Remove from heat and add half of the grated ginger and a teaspoon of sriracha. Set aside.

Step 2 — Confit the cod. Pat the cod fillets perfectly dry. In a large pan, heat the olive oil over low heat (55-65 °C). Place the fillets skin-side up. Confit for 7-8 minutes without touching. Carefully flip and cook for another 6 minutes. The flesh should be tender but not falling apart.

Step 3 — Prepare the crispy skin. If you want the texture contrast, carefully remove the skin from an extra fillet (or trimmings) and place it between two sheets of parchment paper with a weight on top. Bake at 180 °C for 10-12 minutes until completely crispy. This step is optional but transforms the dish.

Step 4 — Plate assembly. Place a generous spoonful of teriyaki sauce on the base of the plate, creating an asymmetrical mirror (not centered — this is DiverXO, not a classic restaurant). Place the cod fillet slightly off-center. Grate the remaining ginger on top. Squeeze lime juice directly over the fish. Sprinkle black and white sesame seeds. Cut the chives at an angle and distribute over the plate.

Step 5 — Final DiverXO touch. If you have crispy skin, stick it vertically into the fillet like a boat sail. Grate a little lime on top so that the aroma hits you before the taste. Serve immediately.

The homemade teriyaki sauce: the secret to the dish

Store-bought teriyaki sauce doesn't compare to what you can make at home in 10 minutes. The homemade version has less sugar, more depth, and a clean flavor that doesn't mask the cod:

• Soy + mirin + honey: the classic base. Soy provides umami and saltiness, mirin subtle sweetness with rice notes, honey body and shine.
• Controlled reduction: the mistake is to reduce too much. The sauce should thicken but remain fluid. If it turns into caramel, you've gone too far.
• Ginger when hot: adding grated ginger when you remove it from the heat releases the essential oils without cooking them, maintaining the fresh spiciness.
• Sriracha as a counterpoint: it doesn't aim to be spicy but to provide a warm note that blends with the sweetness of the honey.

This teriyaki sauce works with any fish, but with cod it is especially good because the fish's salty flavor naturally balances the sweetness of the sauce.

Fusion techniques applied to cod

Fusion cuisine is not about randomly mixing ingredients. Dabiz Muñoz has explained it many times: it's about understanding the rules of each cuisine to intentionally break them. In this recipe, several fusion techniques are applied with purpose:

1. Mediterranean confit + Asian umami: olive oil confits the cod using the classic Spanish technique, but the finishing sauce is purely Japanese. Two culinary traditions converging on the plate.
2. Citric acid as a bridge: lime connects Spain and Asia. It appears in Latin American ceviches, in Thai cuisine, and in Andalusian dishes. It is a universal ingredient that unites worlds.
3. Sesame as texture and flavor: provides microscopic crunch, toasted flavor, and a visual touch that screams "this is not grandma's recipe."
4. Asymmetrical plating: in contrast to classic French symmetry, the DiverXO aesthetic seeks controlled chaos. The dish should look spontaneous, as if someone had thrown the ingredients and they landed perfectly.

If you are interested in exploring more creative combinations with cod, check out our article on wok cod and the cod tempura version.

Variations and adaptations

The DiverXO philosophy is adaptable. Here are variations that maintain the fusion spirit:

• Thai version: replace teriyaki with a sauce of coconut milk, green curry, Thai basil, and fish sauce. Cod with green curry is a spectacular combination.
• Mexican version: teriyaki with chipotle sauce and honey. Add sliced avocado and fresh cilantro. Mexican lemon acidity replaces lime.
• Korean version: gochujang sauce (Korean chili paste) thinned with rice vinegar and sesame. Spicier, more intense, very addictive.
• Nikkei version: Peruvian-Japanese fusion. Soy sauce with ají amarillo, lime juice, and olive oil. Minimalist and powerful.

For an approach to haute cuisine with cod from the Spanish tradition, you can see our article on Michelin-starred cod recipes.

DiverXO style plating

DiverXO's plating is an art in itself. These are the keys to replicating that aesthetic at home:

• Dark plate: matte black or dark gray. Contrasts with the white of the cod and the shine of the teriyaki.
• Radical asymmetry: nothing centered. The cod a third of the way across the plate, the sauce making a diagonal stroke.
• Height: the crispy skin creates vertical dimension. Chive stalks placed at an angle reinforce verticality.
• Color points: black sesame creates graphic contrast. Green lime zest adds visual freshness.
• Negative space: leave at least a third of the plate empty. Space is part of the composition, like in a painting.

Nutritional values per serving

Conclusion

Dabiz Muñoz-style cod demonstrates that a traditional ingredient can be reinvented without losing its essence. Fusion is not a trend — it is a philosophy that opens up infinite possibilities. The key is to respect the basic product (good cod, well desalted, confit with care) and dare to experiment with accompaniments.

You don't need to be Dabiz Muñoz to make fusion cuisine at home. You need curiosity, some ingredients you can find in any supermarket with an Asian section, and cod that lives up to the challenge. The rest is play, experimentation, and the willingness to break your own rules.

At Bacalalo, we select cod that responds to both Basque tradition and the most daring experimentation. Thick fillets, perfect desalting, ideal texture for confit. Discover our collection and start creating your own fusion.

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