Black Cod

I bought some sable fish, also known as black cod at a farmer's market this weekend. It was frozen and the price tab hefty. The purveyor told me if I taste it, I'll be back for more. I put it to the test. I paired it with a cabbage stir-fry, Yukon Gold potatoes and a salad. Here's the recipe:

ON THE CUTTING BOARD:



Sable fish, cabbage, carrots, scallions, garlic, butter, tomatoes,
cumin, paprika, parsley, tamarind paste (not pictured), grapeseed oil

STEP ONE:



Preheat oven to 400. Chop half a head of cabbage and throw it
into a hot pan heated with a T. of grapes oil. Peel a couple of
small carrots into the cabbage and top with a a T. of tamarind paste.
Stir until it's well blended and giving off a nice aroma. Turn
heat to medium low.

STEP TWO:



Coarsely chop two scallions with the tops and add to the pan.
Skirt a T. of tamari soy sauce into the mix along with some
ground pepper.

STEP THREE:



At this point, I saw I had some broccoli that needed some
attention, so I added that too. Add whatever you have on hand
to use up what you've got. Stir fry for a couple of minutes and
then turn off the heat and partially cover while you cook the fish.

STEP FOUR:



Prepare the sable (.75 lbs.) with a tsp.
of cumin, a tsp. of paprika, 1/2 tsp. of ground
coriander, a generous grind of black pepper,
1/2 tsp of sea salt and a T. of butter divided
across the fish. Bake for 10 minutes in the
400 degree pre-heated oven, and then increase
the oven temperature to 500 and cook for another
4 minutes.

STEP FIVE:



Plate the fish on top of the cabbage stir-fry and add the salad. Top the fish with minced parsley.

My final analysis: the fish was beautifully silky and very tasty. I might buy it again but will do another blog comparing this sable fish (aka black cod, butter fish) with another buttery fish that is way less expensive. After doing some research, sable fish is not even in the cod family, but I like
the fact that it is responsibly fished in very deep waters. Keep tuned. Also, the stir-fry was covered too long. I'd start it earlier while cooking the fish so that everything is especially fresh and colorful.

Eco details: 

• Sablefish populations are healthy, and the fishing method (bottom longlines) produces little bycatch or harm to bottom habitat. 
• The Alaskan sablefish fishery is operated under an innovative 'catch share' system, which allows fishermen to work under safer conditions and get better prices for their catch while conserving stocks.
• West Coast sablefish are now managed under a similar management plan as well. Bycatch is down 75%, and conservative catch quotas have limited the catch of overfished rockfish. Additionally, an innovation boom in gear design and fishing behavior has helped trawlers avoid bycatch hotspots and keep sensitive species out of nets.

From seafoodedf.org

ALLA VOSTRA SALUTE!