Pan Seared Sablefish

You might have heard sablefish referred to as black cod which is a bit of a misnomer as it isn’t part of the cod fish family at all! They do have black scales, though, and so that is undoubtedly where the marketing term black cod comes from.

Whatever you call it, sablefish is the most mouthwatering, buttery – flavoured white fish with a silky texture. It’s often served in fancy presentations in restaurants, but don’t let that scare you off from making it at home.

This great recipe includes simple ingredients but adds a touch of fancy by adding edible flowers and making a coral tuile as a garnish (thats the pink thing you see in the photo!)

Ingredients

• 2 x 5 oz (150 gram) Skipper Otto sablefish (skin off)
• 1 cup diced sweet potato
• 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 cup (250ml) chicken broth, divided (or substitute stock)
• 2 Tbsp butter, divided
• 2 Tbsp shallot, finely diced
• 1 whole garlic clove, smashed
• 2 oz (50 gram) wild mushrooms
• 2 or 3 sprigs thyme or rosemary
• 2 Tbsp avocado oil, or another high smoke point oil
• Salt and pepper – to taste
• 1/2 lemon

Directions

1. For the fish – Preheat your oven to 350F/180C and preheat a medium over-safe skillet over medium high heat on the stove.
2. In a seperate large skillet, melt 1 Tbsp of the butter over medium heat and then add the shallots and cook for a couple of minutes until softened. 
3. Add the mushrooms, sweet potatoes and garlic and cook for a few minutes to slightly brown the sweet potatoes. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Add 3/4 cup of the chicken stock and bring it to a simmer, then add the tomatoes. Cover and cook until the sweet potatoes are cooked through. About 10-15 minutes. Add the remaining chicken stock if needed.
5. While the vegetables are cooking, season the sablefish with salt and pepper.
6. Add the oil to the skillet and once it’s hot, add the fish with the presentation side down. This means the side you want facing up when you serve it.
7. Cook the fish for about 3 to 4 minutes until it has a nice sear, then gently flip it over.
8. Add 1Tbsp of butter and the thyme or rosemary to the skillet. Spoon the melted butter over the fish and put it in the oven to finish off. This should take between 5 to 10 minutes depending on the thickness of your fish. (Steve prefers an internal temperature is 135F/57C)

Plating:

In a bowl, add half of the broth and vegetable mixture. Top that with 1 piece of sablefish and spoon a little of the melted pan butter over top. Squeeze a little lemon juice over the top and enjoy. 

For a fancy presentation, Steve used multi-coloured cherry tomatoes, and garnished with dried edible flowers and a coral tuile. Making a tuile is actually quite simple – here is a great YouTube video with a how to!

Servings: 2 people

Recipe shared with us by our friend and member Steve W. – see more of his recipe creations on Instagram