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    Black cod with balsamic shallot and pomegranate sauce

    Published: Jan 08, 2013 / 19 Comments

    18.5K shares
    • Facebook279
    Recipe Print

    Black cod with balsamic shallot and pomegranate sauce - delicious way to prepare black cod. Best if served with mashed potatoes.
    Black cod with balsamic-shallot sauce and mashed potatoes

    About a week ago, there was a knock on the door and the delivery man handed me a huge heavy box, which upon opening revealed fresh, never frozen seafood: salmon, smoked salmon, black cod, shrimp, and sea bass cheeks - all carefully packaged and masterfully refrigerated within the box. I would lie if I said I wasn't thrilled, to say the least. I love seafood and it has been a long-long time since I had any in my refrigerator. One of the best recipes I made using this fish was this Black cod with balsamic shallot and pomegranate sauce.

    I am happy (or sad) to report that I've already cooked a lot of this seafood treasure and that we have consumed it as vultures with speeds that did not allow me to write down all recipes or take all the pictures. The presence of the family and friends during the holidays also accelerated our consumption of fish. 30 pounds, you say? No more. Mind you, I still have a good amount of seafood in the freezer, but it would hardly weigh 30 pounds.

    Black cod with balsamic-shallot sauce and mashed potatoes

    This particular recipe worked really well with black cod fish, and it received numerous accolades both from my husband and other family members. I've made several renditions of it, some with mashed potatoes, some with risotto, my most favorite being with risotto as a side dish.

    What makes this recipe wonderful are 2 things: the black cod and the balsamic braised shallots. Black cod is often called butter fish due to its high oil content, which makes it very flavorful and, importantly, fool proof to cook. This fish is so buttery, it's hard to overcook or dry it, making it a pretty safe fish to sear, broil, bake, or grill. Add soy sauce and honey glaze while searing or broiling and you'll get a nice, "blackened" look. Using balsamic braised shallots with pomegranate as a base sauce for this fish turned out to be such a good marriage: I could not stop dipping buttery slices of black cod into a light, red-wine-balsamic-shallot reduction with just a touch of sweetness from pomegranate seeds.

    Black cod with balsamic and caramelized shallot sauce and mashed potatoes, roasted green onions, fish

    Black cod with balsamic shallot and pomegranate sauce
    5 from 3 votes

    Black cod with balsamic shallot and pomegranate sauce

    Buttery fillets of black cod with creamy red wine balsamic and shallot sauce with just a touch of sweetness from pomegranate seeds.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 20 mins
    Cook Time 30 mins
    Total Time 50 mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine American
    Servings 4 people
    Author: Julia

    Ingredients

    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 4 green onions
    • 2 tablespoons honey
    • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 1 lb black cod (4 black cod fillets)
    • salt and pepper
    • balsamic shallot sauce with pomegranate

    Instructions 

    • Prepare balsamic shallot sauce with pomegranate according to the recipe, and keep it warm. It can be prepared 1 or 2 days in advance, too.
    • Clean and trim green onions, slice each into 2-3 slices (about 3 inch long each). Heat olive oil on medium-high heat in a skillet and roast green onions on high heat for about 10 minutes until they brown.
    • Preheat oven to broil. Heat soy sauce and honey for about a minute in a small pan to melt honey and mix it well with soy sauce. Brush the top of each black cod fillet (the side without skin) with about half of soy sauce and honey mixture. You should have half of this mixture left.   
    • In a separate large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil on medium-high heat until hot. Place fish fillet glazed side on the skillet (skins up) and sear for about 5 minutes on high heat, until the fish browns. 
    • Turn fillets over and sear them skin side down for 5 minutes. 
    • Brush the top of fillets (with no skin on) with soy sauce and honey mixture again, place the fish right under the broiler and broil for 5-7 minutes until the top of fish darkens and browns even more. You can brush more glaze over fish half time through broiling. Remove from oven. You can remove the skin from the bottom of the fish at this point – it will easily peel off.
    • To serve: Divide balsamic shallot sauce with pomegranate among 3 plates and place it in the middle of each plate.  Divide roasted green onions among 3 plates and place it next to shallots. Place a fillet of black cod on top of balsamic braised shallot mixture.

    The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

    Tried this recipe?Be sure to leave a comment and provide a Star Rating below - I love your feedback and try to respond to every comment!
    « Salmon fillet with Sake sauce and wild rice
    Spinach Salad with Prosciutto, Pears, Pomegranate »
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    Please share your comment and Star Rating in the comments section below.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Peter Stampfer

      October 05, 2022 at 12:50 am

      I've made this twice now since our local Costco recently started stocking beautiful, whole except the head, black cod. Both times my wife and I loved the results. The simple honey and soy sauce glaze is perfect on this fish and the shallots in balsamic cream sauce takes this dish over the top. Kudos for the detailed searing instructions. We live in the San Francisco area and miss the restaurant scene since the pandemic hit. This recipe has helped ease that pain.

      Reply
      • Julia

        October 05, 2022 at 3:30 pm

        Peter, I am so happy you tried this recipe and enjoyed it! This is one of my older recipes and I am even surprised you found it! Thank you so much for taking the time to write such a kind and thoughtful comment - I really appreciate it! 🙂

        Reply
    2. Diane

      September 28, 2021 at 4:15 pm

      I love both of your black cod recipes. this one is super tasty!

      Reply
    3. Baltic Maid

      February 11, 2013 at 1:25 am

      I love seafood as well. I grew up in a city near the sea and I miss having fresh fish. Your cod looks mouthwatering. I'll save this recipe next time I get my hands on some fresh fish. Thank you for this recipe. 🙂

      Reply
    4. Tash

      January 28, 2013 at 3:10 am

      I think us Brits tend to take it for granted that we are never further than an hour's car ride from the sea. I don't envy being in a very landlocked place - I miss the sea, being about an hour from it where I live now! - and I love fish so much that I don't think I could be without it! I don't know if you have sole-family fish available to you, or even in your seas (I'm sure you do) but if you ever get the chance, they are some of my favourite fish to eat. John Dory, lemon sole, plaice, Dover sole etc. are all great treated very simply, fried in a little caper butter and eaten with fresh spring vegetables (new potatoes, asparagus when in season, kale, peas etc). We (as a nation) love but are told to avoid eating cod because of its conservation status in our own seas, but I do quite love it! I also like the oily fish, such as mackerel and herring - which can be very versatile and are an excellent source of omega 3 oils.

      Reply
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