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Fish can provide a host of flavors and make for a healthy addition to one’s diet. Alaskan cod, for example, is easy to find and, because it’s high in certain omega-3 fatty acids, packs quite a heart-healthy punch. In fact, the U.S. Department of Agriculture notes that wild Alaskan cod contains the same levels of the beneficial omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid, or EPA, and docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA, as salmon.
Men and women who want to improve their diets but not sacrifice flavor can try the following recipe for “Roasted Wild Alaskan Black Cod with Kambu Dashi, Kale and Sage,” courtesy of Jill Lightner’s “Edible Seattle: The Cookbook” (Sterling Epicure).
Roasted Wild Alaskan Black Cod with Kambu Dashi, Kale and Sage
Ingredients — Serves 4
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons
kosher salt
5 dried porcini mushrooms
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, smashed
2 inches peeled fresh ginger, thinly sliced
1 stalk celery, thinly sliced
2 bay leaves
3 pounds fish bones and scraps
4 sheets dry kombu or 1 pound fresh Pacific kelp
1⁄2 cup dry white wine
4 6-ounce Wild Alaskan Black Cod fillets
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon finely chopped shallots
1 leek, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup stemmed, thinly sliced kale
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
Directions
In a spice or coffee grinder, grind 1 tablespoon of the salt and the porcini mushrooms together until very fine (roughly 1 minute); then sift the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve. Cover and set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, ginger, celery, bay leaves, and 1 teaspoon salt and cook until the vegetables are fragrant and sweating, about 5 minutes. Add the fish bones and scraps, kombu and wine and simmer for 10 minutes. Add 3 quarts water and simmer slowly over medium heat for 11⁄4 hours, skimming off any impurities, gray matter and excess ingredients that float to the surface of the broth. Strain the broth through a fine-mesh strainer, discard the solids and simmer the broth again for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and keep warm.
Preheat the oven to 185° F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Place the cod fillets on the pan and season liberally with the porcini salt. Place the pan in the oven for 38 minutes.
While the fish is baking, place a sauté pan over medium heat and add the butter, shallots, leek, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Sauté until tender but not browned. If the vegetables start to brown, add a couple of tablespoons of the broth. When the leek is tender, add the kale and sage and sauté until the kale is soft.
Divide the kale among 4 serving bowls. Using a spatula, place the black cod on the kale, pour the broth on and around the fish and serve.
Pairing
Oyster Bay Pinot Noir
Oyster Bay Winery — New Zealand
With this dish, you want a wine that’s going to pop against the smokiness of the cod and the salt of the accompanying dashi, so we went with a New World pinot noir.
This pinot noir from Oyster Bay has a licorice scent with plum and blackberry flavors, and it will compliment well with the sage, too.
Of course, the best pairing is one of your own choosing. Let us know what you think by reaching out to us on Facebook at TheSpot518.com. Please share what pairings you ultimately went with.