Pacific Coast Butterfish Recipes

GRILLED BUTTERFISH

Steps:

• Prepare a stove-top griddle or outdoor grill with the rack set 1 inch above the coals. Allow the grill to get very hot.
• Meanwhile, brush the butterfish with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the butterfish about 3 minutes per side, until the fish just begins to flake. Arrange 2 butterfish on each of 4 dinner plates, garnish with the parsley, and serve.

PAN-ROASTED FISH FILLETS WITH HERB BUTTER

Steps:

• Pat fillets dry with a paper towel. Season on both sides with salt and pepper.
• Heat a heavy 10-inch nonstick or cast-iron skillet over high heat. When the pan is hot, add the oil. Place the fillets in the pan, skin side down (if applicable), laying them down away from your body. If fillets have skin, press down gently with a spatula for about 20 seconds to prevent curling.
• Lower heat to medium and let sizzle until fish is golden and caramelized around edges, about 2 to 3 minutes. Carefully flip fillets and add butter and thyme to pan. Tilt pan slightly to let the melted butter pool at one end. Use a spoon to baste the fish with the pooled butter. Continue basting until golden all over and cooked through, 45 to 90 seconds more, depending on the thickness of your fish. Serve immediately with chopped parsley (if using) and lemon wedges.

FRIED BUTTERFISH

Steps:

• Have the fishmonger scale and remove the heads from the fish. Wash and clean the fish and pat them dry with paper towels. Preheat 2 inches of oil for frying to 375 degrees in a deep, heavy skillet. While the oil is heating, mix the cornmeal, flour, salt, and pepper and coat both sides of the fish with the mixture. Place the butterfish in the hot oil and fry for 5 to 8 minutes, turning occasionally so that both sides are well browned. Drain them on paper towels and serve hot. They are as good for breakfast accompanied by grits and biscuits as they are for dinner with smothered cabbage or collard greens and cornbread.

PACIFIC COAST BUTTERFISH

Steps:

• Combine the orange juice and lime juice in a small nonreactive saucepan over high heat and boil until reduced to 2/3 cup, about 8 minutes. Whisk in the vinegar and honey and season with salt and pepper. Let cool slightly. Set aside.
• Heat the oil in a large nonstick sauté pan over high heat until the oil begins to shimmer. Season the fish on both sides with salt and pepper. Spoon a few tablespoons of the orange glaze into a small bowl. Brush the tops of the fillets with some of the glaze from the small bowl. Put the fillets in the pan, glaze side down, and cook until light golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Brush the tops of the fillets with some of the glaze, flip over, and continue cooking until the bottom is light golden brown and the fish is just cooked through, about 4 minutes longer.
• Place the fillets on 4 large dinner plates and drizzle with a little of the reserved sour orange glaze. Drizzle some of the chive oil, if using, around the plate. Top the fillets with some of the pickled red onion.
• PICKLED RED ONION
• Bring the vinegar, 1/4 cup water, the sugar, and the salt to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove from the heat and let cool for 10 minutes.
• Put the onion in a medium bowl, pour the vinegar over, cover, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 2 days before serving.

SABLEFISH

Steps:

• HEALTH BENEFITS
• Like most fish, sablefish is a great source of protein, B vitamins (especially niacin and B12), and minerals (notably selenium). It shines brightest, however, in fat content: A 5-ounce serving provides about 3 grams of heart-healthy omega-3s, namely the powerful pair of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). Harvested from relatively pure waters, sablefish also has very low levels of mercury, PCBs, and dioxins compared with many other fish.
• HOW TO BUY
• Choose Alaskan or Canadian sablefish, if possible, which tend to be more sustainably harvested than sablefish from West Coast fisheries. Look for fillets or steaks with firm, moist flesh and little to no fishy smell. Sablefish freezes well, and smoked sablefish has excellent flavor; you can buy both kinds at specialty fish shops and online.
• HOW TO STORE
• Eat fresh sablefish the same day you buy it; the high oil content makes this fish especially prone to spoilage. Frozen fish should be thawed in the refrigerator, not only for safety but because thawing too quickly can compromise texture.
• PREPARATION TIP
• To grill, rub fillet all over with oil, and season with salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat until fish flakes with a fork and is opaque throughout, 3 to 4 minutes per side.
• DID YOU KNOW?
• Sablefish swim at depths as great as 9,800 feet and are among the longest-living species of fish; the oldest documented one was 94 years old.
• recipes
• Sablefish in Tomato-Saffron Stew p.167
• Hoisin-Glazed Sablefish with Bok Choy p.216
• Sablefish en Papillote with Shiitake Mushrooms and Orange p.219

HERBED UP BUTTERFISH

Steps:

• In a bowl mix the butter, thyme, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and white pepper.
• Place the ingrediets from the bowl into a frying pan on medium heat.
• Once the butter has melted add the butterfish fillets and cook for 3-5 minutes on each side or until it is cooked to your satisfaction.
• Squeeze the lemon wedge over the fish once cooked or serve as a garnish.

MISO BUTTERFISH

Steps:

• Combine miso, sugar, sake, and mirin in a large glass or ceramic bowl; stir until sugar is dissolved. Add fish fillets and toss to evenly coat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for 24 hours minimum.
• Remove fillets from the marinade and shake off excess. Discard the remaining marinade.
• Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add fillets to the hot skillet in batches; cook until flesh flakes easily with a fork, about 5 minutes per side.