Pan-Roasted Alaska Sablefish (Black Cod) with Herbs and Coconut Chili Jam
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Servings: 4
Ingredients
Coconut Chili Jam Sauce (Makes about 1⅓ cups)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 small white onion, cut into ¼-inch pieces
- 3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 2 dried Thai chiles, stemmed
- One ½-inch-piece fresh or thawed frozen galangal, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon white sugar
- 2 teaspoons Thai shrimp paste
- 2 teaspoons Korean chili flakes
- 1 teaspoon Sriracha sauce
- 1 teaspoon jarred tamarind concentrate
- 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
Pan-Roasted Sablefish
- 6 skin-on Alaska sablefish fillets (about 6-7 ounces)
- Kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
- Coconut chili jam sauce
- 1-2 limes
- 5-10 makrut lime leaves, finely julienned
- 2 cups fresh cilantro, stems removed
- 2 cups Thai basil leaves, stems removed
- 1 large or 2 small jalapenos, very thinly sliced
- ½ medium red onion, thinly sliced
Preparation
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Step 1 Prepare the coconut chile jam sauce
Heat the oil in a small pot over medium until shimmering. Cook the onion, garlic, chiles, and galangal until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the fish sauce, sugar, shrimp paste, chili flakes, Sriracha sauce, and tamarind concentrate, and cook, stirring often, until onions are soft, about 10 minutes. Remove pot from heat. Stir in the coconut milk and lime juice, then transfer to a blender and purée until smooth. Let it cool fully. This sauce keeps in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 10 days
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Step 2 Pan-sear the sablefish
Dry the sablefish fillets thoroughly with paper towels paying extra attention to the skin side. Season both sides of each fillet liberally with kosher salt. Heat oil in a heavy bottomed skillet over high until it’s smoking hot. Place 3 sablefish fillets, skin-side down, into the pan, then turn down heat to medium-high. Apply pressure via a grill press, small pan or spatula and cook until the skin is brown and crispy and the fish is mostly cooked, about 5 minutes. Flip the fish and cook for about 2 more minutes, until just cooked through. For thinner fillets, this can be done on low heat. Repeat with remaining 3 fillets.
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Step 3 Plate and serve
Into shallow bowls, pour ¼ cup each of coconut chile jam sauce, and place each seared sablefish fillet in the center. Generously cover each fillet with a squeeze of lime juice and a dusting of lime leaf julienne threads. Surround each fillet with cilantro, Thai basil leaves (torn if they seem big), red onion slivers, and jalapeno slices. Serve immediately.
