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    Home » Seafood

    Pan-Seared Black Cod (Sablefish) with Brown Butter

    Published: Feb 27, 2021 · Leave a Comment

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe Save Recipe Saved!
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    This decadent pan-seared black cod (sablefish) features fish cooked in butter and then topped with a brown butter, cayenne and honey sauce.

    pan-seared black cod (sablefish) with brown butter sauce on a serving platter

    We currently have a freezer filled with sablefish (a.k.a. black cod).

    This decadent white fish is rich, buttery and melts in your mouth. It’s also called butter fish.

    Normally, sablefish (or black cod) can be hard to find, at least where I live in Kentucky. Happily, one of our recent fish deliveries from Sitka Salmon Shares was packed with lots of this tasty fish!

    We’ve been enjoying teriyaki sablefish and sweet chili sablefish, and I even love it in fish nachos.

    Recently, though, my friend Carmy mentioned she’d had some fabulous pan-seared fish topped with brown butter, and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it! Fish and brown butter are a perfect match!

    This decadent pan-seared sablefish is cooked in butter and served with, you guessed it, a little spiced brown butter.

    Looking for more fish recipes? Try making pan-seared lingcod, broiled cod with lemon sauce, seared albacore tuna with ginger soy sauce, spicy tuna poke and pan-seared rockfish.

    What If I Can’t Find Black Cod?

    Like I mentioned, sablefish (black cod) can be difficult to find.

    If you want to try this recipe with another type of fish, I recommend using salmon. Sablefish is a lot fattier than other types of white fish, so a fattier fish (like salmon) is a better substitute.

    What Does Black Cod (Sablefish) Taste Like?

    This is a rich and mellow fish. It pairs well with flavors like miso and chili peppers.

    And it’s delicious with the spiced brown butter sauce in this recipe.

    Make the Pan-Seared Black Cod

    Pat the fish dry, season it, and set it aside.

    Heat oil and butter to a heavy pan. I use this Lodge 12″ carbon steel skillet.

    When the butter melts, add the sablefish.

    Add the Black Cod (Sablefish) to the Hot Pan
    Add the Black Cod (Sablefish) to the Hot Pan

    As the fish cooks, it will turn opaque from the bottom up.

    When it’s about halfway cooked through, use a thin metal spatula (like a fish spatula) to test the fish. I use a Wusthof fish spatula, but have also heard great things about this Toadfish fish spatula.

    If the spatula slides easily under the fish, it’s time to flip.

    Flip the Black Cod (Sablefish)
    Flip the Black Cod (Sablefish)

    Flip the fish and continue cooking about four minutes, or until the sides of the sablefish are opaque.

    Take the fish out of the pan.

    How to Make Brown Butter Sauce

    Add a little more butter to the pan.

    The butter will start to foam and then turn brown. Add a little lemon juice and stir it all together. Turn off the heat.

    Brown Butter in the Pan
    Brown Butter in the Pan

    Pour the butter into a bowl along with a little honey and cayenne powder.

    Stir it all together.

    Mix Brown Butter with Honey + Cayenne
    Mix Brown Butter with Honey + Cayenne

    Finally, spoon the butter sauce over the fish.

    Because the sablefish is so tender after cooking, the butter sauce will sink down into the fish in between the flakes. Every bite will taste like butter!

    Serve this pan-seared black cod right away, along with garlic cauliflower mash and a broccoli raisin salad.

    pan-seared black cod (sablefish) with brown butter sauce on a serving platter
    pan-seared black cod (sablefish) with brown butter sauce on a serving platter
    Print Recipe Save Recipe Saved!
    5 from 3 votes

    Pan-Seared Black Cod (Sablefish) with Brown Butter

    This decadent pan-seared black cod (sablefish) features fish cooked in butter and then topped with a brown butter, cayenne and honey sauce.
    Author: Sarah Trenalone
    Prep Time15 mins
    Cook Time10 mins
    Total Time25 mins
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: American, French
    Diet: Gluten Free
    Servings: 2 people
    Calories: 288kcal
    Freezer Friendly?
    No
    Will It Keep?
    No
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients

    • 8 ounces sablefish (black cod) Or substitute salmon
    • pinch salt, pepper
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 2 tablespoons butter, divided Or use extra olive oil
    • 1 lemon, juiced
    • 1 tablespoon honey
    • ⅛ teaspoon ground cayenne (optional)

    Instructions

    • Pat sablefish dry.  Sprinkle fillets on both sides with salt and pepper.
      Allow fillets to rest at room temperature for about 15 minutes. (Cold fish is more difficult to sear.)
      Pat the Fish Dry
    • Add olive oil and half the butter to a heavy pan. Melt butter over medium heat.
      Place the fillets skin-side down in the pan and cook about 4 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillets.
      As the sablefish cooks, the flesh will begin to turn opaque from the bottom up. When the fish has cooked halfway through, it's ready to flip.
      Avoid touching the fish until the fish is ready to flip.
      Add the Black Cod (Sablefish) to the Hot Pan
    • Use a thin metal spatula to test the fish.  If you can slide the spatula under the fish without the fish sticking to the pan, it's ready to flip. If the fillets won't release, give them another 30 seconds. They'll release when they've finished cooking.
      Cook fish about 4 minutes until done. Timing will depend on the thickness of the fillet. (Watch the sides of the fillets to see when the fish is done cooking. It's finished as soon as there are no more translucent patches and it's fully opaque.)
      Flip the Black Cod (Sablefish)
    • Transfer the fish to plates, leaving the excess butter in the pan. Cover fish to keep warm, or set fish in a 200ºF oven.
      Reduce heat to medium-low.  Add the remaining butter to the pan. The butter will begin to foam, and then the foam will begin to subside.
      Watch for brown specks to appear in the butter and for the butter to start smelling nutty. As soon as it begins to become golden (about 1 minute), add the lemon juice, stir, and then remove from heat.
      Brown Butter in the Pan
    • Pour the butter sauce into a small bowl and mix with the honey and cayenne.
      Mix Brown Butter with Honey + Cayenne
    • Brush the butter sauce over the fish. You'll see that the sablefish is incredibly soft and the flakes will be pulling apart, so the sauce will soak down into the fish.
      Serve the fish right away along with any extra sauce.
      pan-seared black cod (sablefish) with brown butter sauce on a serving platter

    Notes

    Cooking Tips:
    • Make sure to pat the fish dry.  Wet fish won’t develop a crispy skin.
    • Make sure to let the fish rest at room temperature for about 15 minutes.  Cold fish tends to stick to the pan.
    • Test the fish with a thin metal spatula before attempting to flip.  If the fish doesn’t release, give it another 30 seconds and try again.
    • If your butter and oil begin to smoke, lower the heat slightly.
    • Have all your ingredients prepared before beginning so that you can watch the fish carefully while it cooks.  I prep everything while the fish rests at room temperature.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 288kcal (14%) | Carbohydrates: 14g (5%) | Protein: 18g (36%) | Fat: 19g (29%) | Saturated Fat: 8g (50%) | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 83mg (28%) | Sodium: 445mg (19%) | Potassium: 352mg (10%) | Fiber: 2g (8%) | Sugar: 10g (11%) | Vitamin A: 421IU (8%) | Vitamin C: 29mg (35%) | Calcium: 27mg (3%) | Iron: 1mg (6%)
    Tried this recipe?Leave a comment and rating below!
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    About Sarah Trenalone

    Sarah is the primary creator at Champagne Tastes. She's a photographer, food writer and traveler, and is certified in Backcountry Kitchen and Backcountry Navigation from the Colorado Outward Bound School and Identifying Wild Plants from Backpacker.

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    Hi, I'm Sarah! I'm a traveler who loves to eat.   Follow along to join me on my next adventure-- in food or on the road.

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