A flavor-packed marinade of salty soy sauce and sweet honey coats black cod for a quick but flavorful dinner. Black cod is a species of cod fish found in the North Pacific Ocean; also known as sablefish, butterfish, and blue cod, it is a rich white-flesh fish with a moist, succulent texture. It is not a true cod.
When it comes to home cooking, Alaskan black cod is an exceptional choice. Black cod has a meaty and flaky texture, making it incredibly versatile and pretty forgiving in the oven. In fact, it’s rather difficult to overcook this fish, making it a popular option for home chefs of all backgrounds.
The backbone of this simple, flavor-packed marinade is the salty soy sauce and sweet honey that permeate the fish, bok choy, and scallions while they cook together under the broiler—and all on the same baking sheet. Everything is ready in less than 15 minutes and the result is lightly charred vegetables and perfectly cooked fish that flakes easily with a fork.
The secret yet simple flavor-enhancing trick of this dish is the Sichuan peppercorns that are lightly toasted beforehand, and add tingling heat to the dish, making this meal even more of a stand-out.
Unable to source black cod at the time, salmon was noted as an acceptable substitution. And just for the 2 of us, we cooked a one-pound piece; but kept the amounts of marinating ingredients the same. To make the meal more vegetable-centric, we nearly doubled the baby bok choy.
Glazed Black Cod with Baby Bok Choy and Scallions
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 tsp. Szechuan peppercorns
- 6 Tbsp. lower-sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 cup honey
- 6 garlic cloves, minced (about 2 Tbsp.)
- 2 pieces fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped (about 2 Tbsp.)
- 2 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
- 1 1/2 Tbsp. toasted sesame seeds
- 1 Tbsp. hot chile oil
- 2 (1-lb.) skinless wild Alaskan black cod fillets (about 1 inch thick), pin bones removed
- 6 heads baby bok choy, halved lengthwise or quartered if large (about 1 1/4 lbs.)
- 12 medium scallions, halved crosswise
- 2 Tbsp.s canola oil
Directions
- Toast peppercorns in a small skillet over medium, shaking pan often, until fragrant, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a mortar, and let cool slightly, about 1 minute. Crush with pestle into a coarse powder; set aside.
- Stir together soy sauce, honey, garlic, ginger, rice vinegar, sesame seeds, chile oil, and crushed peppercorns in a medium bowl. Transfer to a large ziplock plastic bag. Add cod fillets, and seal bag, pressing out as much air as possible. Refrigerate 4 to 8 hours.
- Preheat broiler with oven rack 6 to 8 inches from heat. Toss together bok choy, scallions, and oil on a large rimmed baking sheet; spread in an even layer. Remove fish from marinade, reserving marinade. Place fish in center of baking sheet. Pour reserved marinade over fish, bok choy, and scallions, coating well.
- Broil in preheated oven until vegetables and fish are nicely charred and fish is just cooked through and flakes easily with a fork, 10 to 12 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through broiling time. Serve immediately.
Adapted from a recipe by Justin Chappel for Food & Wine
Accounting for Taste 