Herby Coconut-Poached Alaska Rockfish
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Servings: 2 to 4
- Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups roughly chopped fresh cilantro (leaves and stems), divided
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1-inch piece fresh ginger, roughly chopped
- 1 jalapeño, stemmed and halved (and seeded if desired)
- 1 (13.5-ounce) can coconut milk
- 1/2 teaspoon fish sauce (optional)
- Kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin or coriander (or 1 teaspoon each)
- 4 (4 to 5 ounces each) Alaska rockfish filets (thawed, if frozen)
- cooked rice, for serving
- lime wedges, for serving
Preparation
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Step 1 Make the broth
Place 2 cups of the cilantro, garlic, ginger, and jalapeño in a blender with the coconut milk, 1 cup of water, and the fish sauce if using. Blend until very smooth, then season with salt and pepper to taste (you’ll need less salt if using fish sauce). Blend again to combine.
Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium heat until it starts to shimmer. Add the onion, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring often, until translucent but not brown, about 5 minutes. Add the cumin or coriander and cook for another 30 seconds, then pour in the cilantro puree. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low.
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Step 2 Cook the fish and serve
Season the rockfish on both sides with salt and pepper, then add to the saute pan. Cover and cook until the fish is opaque and flakes easily when pulled with a fork, 6 to 10 minutes (the thicker the filets are, the longer they’ll take). The poaching liquid should stay brothy.
Divide the fish and poaching liquid into bowls with rice. Top with remaining 1/2 cup chopped cilantro and serve with lime wedges for squeezing over.
