Sing a Song of Sable!

Often called Black Cod because of its physical resemblance to Cod, Sablefish has a rich oil content making it extraordinarily flavorful with a supple, silky consistency. The meat is large and flaky and because it is so rich, Sablefish can benefit from salty or acidic flavorings to contrast the natural oils. Ginger and soy sauce are good complements. The meat is great for barbecuing (July 4th anyone?) as it browns nicely and stays moist and tender. It’s also super for smoking, steaming, sauteing and Sushi making…Sable is super versatile!

Sablefish is also very high in the Omega 3 fatty acids EPA and DHA. In fact, it has as much EPA and DHA as wild salmon, if not more. Wild Alaskan Sablefish is extremely low in PCBs, dioxins, and mercury as well. Can we say Sable is the perfect fish? Well, we won’t go that far – pick some up for your July 4th holiday and taste for yourself!

Here are some awesome marinades for your Sablefish. These are mouthwatering as it is…imagine after you put them on the grill!

Lemon Herb Marinade

Ingredients
1/3  cup olive or vegetable oil
1/4  cup lemon juice
1  tablespoon chopped fresh or 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
2  teaspoons chopped fresh or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1/4  teaspoon salt
1/4  teaspoon pepper
2  cloves garlic, finely chopped

In shallow glass or plastic dish or resealable food-storage plastic bag, mix all ingredients. Add about 1 pound fish, 1 pound boneless chicken, about 3 1/2 pounds bone-in chicken or about 1 pound seafood; turn to coat with marinade. Cover dish or seal bag and refrigerate at least 30 minutes but no longer than 24 hours.
Remove meat from marinade; reserve marinade. Grill meat as desired, brushing occasionally with marinade. Heat remaining marinade to boiling to serve as sauce with grilled meat.

White Wine-Dijon Fish Marinade

Ingredients
2 cups dry white wine
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 lb tilapia, halibut or salmon
salt and pepper, to taste
fresh lemon slices

In a large bowl, whisk together white wine, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, salt, pepper and cayenne pepper. Add fish and cover bowl with plastic wrap. Marinate in refrigerator at least 8 hours or overnight (preferably 12 hours).
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly spray a baking dish with cooking spray.
Remove fish from marinade and place in prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then top with fresh lemon slices.
Bake 20-25 minutes or until opaque and lightly brown on edges. Remove from oven; serve immediately.

Miso Marinated Sable
 
Ingredients
4 sable fillets without skin (6oz each)
1 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine)
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup white miso (a.k.a. shiro miso)

At least 2 hours before cooking or up to 24

In a medium bowl, combine sugar, mirin, canola, and miso. Whisk thoroughly to combine. Add sable and coat with marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 2 - 24 hours. Preheat the oven to 300F. Wrap a broiler pan with foil. Wipe all the marinade off the fish using paper towels and place it on the boiler pan. Turn on the broiler. Broil sable 4 inches away from the flame just until browned, 3-5 minutes. You might need to adjust the distance from the flame and timing to suit your broiler. Keep a close eye on the fish. If you see no color after 2 minutes, move it a little closer to the heating element. If you see too much color, move it further down. If the first side browned, but you still have more than half your estimated cooking time* left, flip the fish and brown the second side. To test for doneness, separate the flakes in the thickest part and look inside. Sable is done when a trace of translucency remains in the center or when an instant read thermometer inserted in the center reads 115F (thermometer only works well on pieces thicker than 1 inch). If the fish is not cooked through after the broiling step, reduce the heat to 300F and finish cooking fish in the middle of the oven.

Estimated cooking time and flipping: Plan on 6-8 minutes total cooking time (broiling, plus finishing in the oven if necessary) per inch of thickness. If you are working with fillets thicker than 1.5 inches or have a particularly powerful broiler, you'll be able to flip the fish and brown it on both sides. But if the first side takes more than half your estimated cooking time to brown, don't flip the fish. Just turn off the broiler and finish it in the oven.


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