Black cod with balsamic shallot and pomegranate sauce - delicious way to prepare black cod. Best if served with 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.
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 shallot and pomegranate sauce
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.
Nutrition Disclaimer:
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.
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