Flavor & Texture
• Unparalleled savory goodness
• White to ivory
• Silky and soft texture
Harvest Area: Chatham Strait Southeast and Gulf of Alaska
Gear Type: Conventional Longline
Primary Fishery Management: Alaskan Dept. of Fish & Game
Harvest Season: Primarily April through November
Available in 8 oz, 12 oz and 16 oz portions VP Semi-boneless
Cooking
- Sablefish loves to be dressed or marinated in lemon juice or white wine with a bit of sea salt for 30 minutes prior to cooking. It is recommended that fillets be cut into portions before cooking. Any ideal sablefish marinade includes a light salt component such as soy sauce, sea salt or miso and a 1/2 c. mild acidic liquid like orange or lemon juice, white wine, or sake. Have fun; it is easy to create your own sablefish marinade for a scrumptious meal. Avoid adding additional fats or oil to sablefish recipes or marinades. Sablefish is rich with omega 3 fat while acidity and salt enhance the texture of sablefish additional oils will make it softer and reduce its texture.
- Grill: 400 degrees; close grill and cook portioned fillets for 15 minutes or 15 minutes per inch of thickness. Remove cooked sablefish from heat after 20 minutes, avoid cutting or disturbing the cooked fillet, then allow your sablefish fillet to rest for 4 minutes until completely cooked. Hot cooked fish that remains undisturbed will continue to cook for up to 4 minutes after it is removed from the heat source. To avoid overcooking fish, the best fish recipes include an allowance for the time to rest and complete doneness.
- Bake: 400 degree; using a glass dish, cook portioned fillets for 20 minutes or 15 minutes per inch of thickness. Remove cooked sablefish from heat after 20 minutes, avoid cutting or disturbing the cooked fillet, then allow your sablefish fillet to rest for 4 minutes until completely cooked.
- Smoked sablefish is perfect for sushi or baked with white wine and sea salt as described above. Generally smoked sablefish is available as a cold smoked product that seems nearly raw in texture. Cold smoke refers to the temperature of the infused smoke that is insufficient to cook the sablefish nonetheless successful at imparting mild smokey undertones. Smoked sablefish is prepared using a pre-smoke brine that boosts fish and smoke flavors with a quick bath of salt and water before smoking.
Amanda’s Serving Suggestions
- Spring/Summer: Accompany the following favorite recipe with [400 degree] baked gold fingerling potatoes cut in half lengthwise and lightly coated with EVOO and sea salt and a side of arugula dressed with lemon and EVOO, salt and white pepper to taste. Start potatoes about 30 minutes before fish is ready to cook. Salad can be prepared while fish and potatoes are in the oven.
- Fall/Winter: Accompany the following favorite recipe with [400 degree] baked small peeled beets cut into quarters and lightly coated with EVOO and sea salt and side of sauteed course green leafy vegetable such as kale, collard or chard. Start beets about 30 minutes before fish is ready to cook and test beets for doneness after 30 minutes. Fish and beets may continue to cook while greens are prepared. Wash and cut greens, saute in a hot skillet with olive oil and course garlic until tender. If cooking collard or kale it may be necessary to add a 1/2 c. of water once or twice, cover, and steam greens occasionally to accelerate cooking time,15-20 minutes. Sauteed greens and roasted beets will benefit from a light drizzle of pomegranate syrup/vinegar. The mild acidity contrasts the richness of the sablefish and beets while complimenting the slight bitterness of cooked greens. If you are serving company, garlic mashed potatoes go well with this fall/winter feast and offer cost savings by compensating for smaller portions of fish per person.
- Favorite Recipe: Using a glass dish, marinate smoked or raw sablefish skin-side up in 1/2 c. white wine or fresh lemon juice for 30 minutes. Any old or sweet white wine will work; it is not necessary to use a high quality wine for this recipe. After 30 minutes flip sablefish portioned fillets skin-side down and grill or bake in a preheated oven for 20 minutes. Tips – 1. Cut portions before marinating, 2. Use the smallest glass dish that will accomodate all of your sablefish. By arranging the fillets in a smaller dish you will be able to use less wine for marinating and allow the residual wine marinade to absorb into your fillets while cooking. Portioning the filles first makes them easier to fit into a smaller dish and will not affect flavor or cooking time. 3. Remove the thinner tail portions from the heat first after 15 minutes to avoid overcooking them. 4. Remove remaining cooked sablefish from heat after 20 minutes, avoid cutting or disturbing the cooked fillet, then allow your sablefish fillet to rest for 4 minutes until completely cooked.