Black Cod Recipe
Ingredients
Fish
- 4 Black Cod fillets
- 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper
- 1 teaspoon neutral oil
Beurre Blanc Sauce
- 1 cup White wine
- 1 shallot minced
- 2 garlic clove sliced
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 lemon slice
- 2 sprigs of thyme
- 1 cup cream
- 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper or to taste
- 3 Tablespoons butter cold
- 1 teaspoon minced parsley
Instructions
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Remove the cod filets from the packaging and defrost overnight in the fridge.
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Use a non stick skillet, and add the oil over medium high heat.
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Pat the black cod with kitchen towels on both sides to dry the fish.
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Season the fish on both sides with salt and pepper.
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Place the fish on the skillet and sear on both sides until golden, the fish takes 3 minutes per side to cook through.
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Remove the fish from the skillet, and make the sauce in the same skillet.
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Add the white wine, shallot, garlic slices, lemon slice and lemon juice. Simmer the mixture for 5 minutes until it has reduced to half.
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Then add in the cream, and simmer for 2 more minutes.
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Remove the skillet from the heat, and add in the butter gradually, one tablespoon at time whisking continuously to dissolve.
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Strain the sauce into a cup.
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Return the fish to the skillet and add the sauce and let it simmer for just 1 minute.
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Serve the fish drenched in the sauce.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
Tips For Black Cod Recipe
- Buy quality black cod or sablefish, even if frozen. Simply thaw and defrost before using.
- Pat the fish dry before seasoning so that the seasoning will stick better. Patting the fish will also create a crisper crust on the fish when searing.
- Start searing in oil rather than butter to avoid burning the butter at high heat. The butter flavor will shine through anyway in the sauce.
- when searing the fish, avoid overcrowding the pan. This way you can achieve a crisp crust and have enough room to flip the fish without breaking.
- Avoid flipping the fish back and forth. It's best to flip the fish once only. This is a sensitive fillet and can easily break apart when handled too much.
- When touching the black cod fish, it will feel firmer and can flake easily with a fork.
- If using a thermometer, aim for 145 degrees F.
- For the Beurre blanc sauce, which a classic creamy lemon sauce for fish, use shallots instead of onions. They have a milder flavor which doesn't over power the sauce.
- Avoid using half n half as it will curdle the sauce. Choose table cream 18% or heavy cream 35% for this recipe.
- When adding the butter, make sure the heat is turned off. Add it gradually and one tablespoon at a time. make sure the butter dissolves before adding more.
- Strain the sauce for a velvety finish and feel to the dish. It pairs better with the buttery rich melt in your mouth texture of the black cod fish.
- To keep the sauce and fish warm until serving, place them both back in the skillet. Keep the heat on low without boiling or simmering the sauce to avoid it separating.
What to Serve with Black Cod Recipe?
- Our favorite side dishes include Spaghetti aglio e olio: Olive oil Pasta & Pesto Pasta.
- Lighter salad sides like Panzanella Salad, Peach Burrata Salad, Caprese Salad.
- Potato dishes like Crispy Potatoes or Best Mashed Potatoes Recipe.
- Veggies. Air Fryer Asparagus, Broccoli Rabe, Sautéed Green Beans.
Variations on Black Cod Recipe
You can use the Miso Cod flavors of sake, soy sauce, miso for a Japanese sauce. Asian ginger, garlic, and Chili Oil Recipe. Thin it out with water and serve it over the fish. Or bake the fish like our Baked Salmon With Greek Dressing.
Can I use frozen Fish?
YES! It's most likely what you'll find unless you're super lucky to access fresh sablefish! Just defrost it and. thaw it before using.
Can I make Black cod in the oven or Broiler?
YES! Our Miso Cod is made in the oven using the broiler for a beautiful char and quick cooking times!
How Best to Cook Cod?
We love baking it or broiling it as we did in the Miso Cod. Today we pan fried it which is our favorite way! It works super well especially when you use a quality non stick skillet.
What is so special about black cod?
Black cod has a high fat content which makes it super buttery and luscious. Also this makes it suer healthy as it's rich in omega-3. It's quite hard to dry out your black cod recipe, but you can overcook it which changes the taste.
How to store leftovers and Reheat?
Leftovers are stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 days. To reheat, you can of course use the microwave which is the easiest. You can also place the fish and sauce along with 1 tablespoon of water back to the skillet over low heat. Eitherway you need to make sure not to boil or bubble the sauce.