Good Fish_ Sustainable Seafood Recipes From the Pacific Coast - Becky Selengut [54]
To prepare the black cod, toss the fillets with the soy sauce and sugar in a mixing bowl or resealable plastic bag. Marinate the fish in the refrigerator for about 2 hours.
To prepare the salad, in a medium bowl combine the rice wine vinegar, lemon juice, ginger, chile, red onion, and shiso. Let the dressing sit for 30 minutes to mellow the onion and meld the flavors. Toss the cucumber with the dressing.
Preheat the oven to 325ºF.
Transfer the fish to a baking sheet, discarding the marinade. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until a small amount of liquid collects at the bottom of the fillets and the fish flakes easily when nudged with your finger.
Put small mounds of the shiso-cucumber salad on each of 4 plates. Prop a fish fillet on each. Drizzle about 1 tablespoon of the carrot vinaigrette alongside the fish. Garnish with the shiso.
PAIRING: A Kabinett riesling, such as Willi Schaefer, Graacher Domprobst 2007, Mosel, Germany, or an Alsatian pinot gris.
black cod with toasted almond milk, delicata squash, and frizzled leeks
1 pound center-cut black cod
fillet, skin on
½ cup whole almonds
1 small delicata squash38
1 medium leek
1 cup water
1 cup clam juice
1 cup whole milk
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons seasoned rice wine
vinegar
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon high-
heat vegetable oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
This is an atypical dish: the toasted almond milk is neither a soup nor a sauce, but a light broth infused with nuts, leeks, sweet winter squash, and the flavorful black cod bones, which imbue the dish with a notable depth. The lightness of the broth cuts the richness of the fish, while a nest of crispy fried leeks adds crunch and texture. The final, not to be missed, coup de grâce is a garnish of butter-fried almonds.
SERVES 4
Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
While the oven is heating, trim the bones from the black cod fillet, reserving them along with any fish scraps. Cut the fillet into 4 equal portions and set aside.
Spread the almonds on a sheet pan and roast for 10 minutes, or until lightly browned. Allow the almonds to cool, then roughly chop. Set aside.
Trim the ends from the squash, halve it lengthwise, and remove and discard the seeds. Cut each half crosswise to make 4 equal portions and set aside.
Cut the white part of the leek into four 1-inch rounds and a 2-inch section of the light green part into fine julienne. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan, combine the black cod scraps and bones, half of the chopped almonds (reserve the other half for garnish), squash, white leek pieces, water, clam juice, milk, and soy sauce. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a very bare simmer and cook gently until the squash is tender, about 20 minutes. (The stock may appear to separate a bit; don’t worry about that.) Remove the squash and leeks from the liquid, carefully wipe them, and transfer them to a small pan. Cover and keep warm in the oven.
Strain the liquid through a fine mesh strainer, return it to the saucepan, and cook over medium-high heat until it reduces by a quarter, about 10 minutes. Add the rice wine vinegar and season to taste with salt and pepper. Keep warm.
Heat a small-circumference pot over high heat. Add 1 cup of the vegetable oil, making sure the oil fills a third or less of the pot (to prevent it from bubbling over). When the oil measures 350ºF on a deep-fat thermometer (or a tester piece of leek immediately bubbles and floats to the surface), add the julienned leek pieces and fry until they are barely light brown, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Remove the leeks with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel. Season to taste with salt and set aside.
Heat a large sauté pan over high heat. Season the black cod pieces with salt and pepper. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, and when the pan is very hot, carefully add the fillets skin side down. Lower the heat just slightly. Cook,