From The Fishmonger: Black Cod (Butterfish/Sablefish)

Inspired to cook a whole fish? Here’s another great sustainable option. Black cod, which also goes under the names butterfish and sablefish, is a rich white-flesh fish with a moist, succulent texture. Its habitat stretches from the Bering Sea to California, and the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch ranks black cod from Alaska as a “Best Choice.”

Even though this fish is marketed as “black cod,” it is not a true cod. Black cod has one of the highest levels of healthy Omega-3 fatty acids, which give them their silky and rich texture and flavor.

It does well grilled, smoked, broiled, poached, in crudo, roasted, or slow-cooked in a confit. Black cod is too rich for dishes like ceviche, but black cod can be eaten as sushi, or sliced thin raw and dressed with some Meyer lemon juice and sea salt. Its high fatty content makes it forgiving to the novice cook.

Choose fish that is firm and pearly white, and has a clean smell, like the ocean.

Related:
Three Ways With Sablefish – Sunset
Fish on Fridays: Mackerel
Tilapia Is In
Fish on Fridays: Littleneck Clams
Use Caution When Eating Escolar

It’s Reader Request Week at The Kitchn! This post was requested by Janet Brandt.

(Originally published 2010-05-13)

(Image: Kathryn Hill)