Sundays have always been family dinner night since I was growing up, and even in my adult years I have refused to give up the tradition. Nowadays this means I take over my Dad’s kitchen on Sundays to whip up something tasty for as many people as he’ll let me have over (hehe). Watching highlights from the Olympics, I set to work figuring how I could make dinner without forcing my super lazy bum to go to the grocery store. I was not about to enter that insanity on this hot Sunday.
Technically this counts as my Pantry Meal of the Week, but I thought the words “pantry meal” and “black cod” sounded a bit ridiculous together, so I left it out of the title. I promise the fish wasn’t spoiled or anything gross, just frozen for a few days while I got my cooking act together after a hectic week. Fish is definitely not something you want hanging around in the back of your fridge too long. If you don’t think you are going to use it the day you buy it or the next, freeze that bad boy. Don’t leave it to slowly dry out in your freezer though.. I’d say use it within a week or two at most if you bought it fresh.
PSA aside, this dish would have blown my socks off if I’d worn any shoes all weekend. It’s deceptively easy to prep and get on the table, and with the optional marinating time, you can make it day of in a rush or the morning ahead after you’ve had your coffee.
I adapted this recipe from the kitchen guru Martha Stewart.
Serves 4.
Ingredient List:
- 4 black cod fillets
- 1 lime
- 3 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 1/2 tbsp tamari soy sauce
- mint
Kitchen Tools: baking sheet, silpat or non-stick spray, small saucepan
Prep Work:
Up to a few hours ahead or during preheating, mix together the juice from one lime, brown sugar, soy sauce, and rice vinegar. Preheat oven to 425*F. Remove skin from fish (optional) and place fish in a large ziploc. Pour in marinade, wiggle it around a bit to fully coat the fish, then let it hang out in the fridge until you’re ready to cook. Chop mint (about 1 tbsp) and set aside.
Cooking:
Place silpat on top of baking dish and arrange fish on silpat equally spaced. Pour remaining marinade in your saucepan. Heat on medium and reduce by about 2/3 until it’s thick and syrupy. Spoon onto the top of the fish or use a pastry brush if you have one. Cook fish for about 12 minutes until it just begins to firm up. Remove from oven.
Turn on your broiler. Once it has preheated place fish in center of oven and broil for about 1 minute until the top gets just ever so slightly charred. Remove from broiler and serve with fresh chopped mint.
Tips + Tricks:
*the broiling at the end is entirely optional. I just really like that charred brown sugar taste with my citrusy fish.
*marinating is optional. If you choose not to marinate, just pour the marinade right in the saucepan and begin reducing.
*those crazy looking flowers below are actually lotus root that I shaped, sliced, and fried quickly in some oil. They taste like a cross between a potato and a radish and make great chips!
