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Perhaps my favorite part of the farmers markets here in Alaska is all the amazing, fresh seafood! Seriously, being able to go to the farmers market and see such a wide selection of good quality and sustainable seafood is absolutely incredible. Amongst my favorites is sablefish or Alaskan black cod. This buttery fish is both easy to cook and worthy of any five-star menu. If you haven’t tried sablefish yet, you can get this restaurant-level dinner on the table in less than 30 minutes with my Whole30 Baked Sablefish recipe.
Don’t be afraid of cooking fish!
There was a time, not too long ago, when I generally avoided cooking fish for anyone but myself. Mostly, I was afraid of serving dry, overcooked fish. But that changed when I discovered sablefish.
Sablefish is potentially the most foolproof fish you could possibly cook. It has an extremely buttery texture and high fat content, which means that you’ll have to put in effort to overcook the fish. Perfect for beginners!
Ingredients and Substitutions
Bok Choy
Bok choy is a part of the cabbage family, and is used most commonly in Asian cuisines. You’re probably most familiar with baby bok choy, as it is the most common vegetable added to wonton soup.
The two most common types are Shanghai bok choy and Traditional bok choy. The Shanghai variety has green-tinged stems and is fairly mild in flavor, whereas Traditional bok choy has bright white stems and can have a mineral taste. For more on the differences between Shanghai Bok Choy and Traditional Bok Choy, check out my post here, but don’t stress about which variety to use! Either will work in this recipe. If neither bok choy is available at your market, look for either Napa cabbage or a green cabbage; either will provide a good base for the fish in this recipe.
Sablefish
Whether it’s called sablefish, black cod, butterfish, or Alaskan cod, this fish is not as well known as it should be. This fish has white, mild flesh and is extremely buttery and flaky. The high fat content means that it is harder to overcook, making it a great choice for a sheet pan meal.
Sablefish is considered a “best choice” by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch. Pacific sablefish is generally caught or farmed using responsible and sustainable practices, and it is often recommended as an alternative to the overfished Chilean Sea Bass. Ask your local fishmonger if you are unsure about the fishery practices. Additionally, sablefish is low in mercury and is considered safe to eat for all populations, including pregnant women.
If you can’t find sablefish at your farmers market (or frozen at the grocery store), substitute with Pacific cod or another white-fleshed fish. True cod has less fat and is slightly more delicate, so you will need to monitor the fish more closely once it is in the oven.
Tips and Tricks
To get the best sear on your bok choy, ensure that it is fully dry before tossing it in oil and placing it on the sheet pan. Any presence of moisture will create steam and prevent the browning process. For extra assurances, keep your sheet pan in the oven as it preheats. This will help ensure that no time is wasted bringing the bok choy up to the high temperature needed to get the perfect brown color.
If your sablefish fillets still have the skin attached (mine did not), I recommend placing them skin side down on the bok choy. This will help hold the sablefish together as it steams on top of the bok choy.
Serving Suggestions
To keep this dish Whole30, I recommend serving the baked sablefish with potatoes. You can easily add potato wedges to the sheet pan at the same time as the bok choy to keep this as a quick meal. I recommend using Yukon Gold potatoes here, as they roast quickly into the perfect crispy and flaky texture.
If you’re not keeping to Whole30 guidelines, rice is another perfect side dish option. Add a little bit of the leftover cilantro and a touch of jalapeno olive oil to get a little bit more flavor in the rice. Yum!
What About the Leftovers?
One of the best things about sheet pan meals is their scalability. While this recipe was developed for two people, it is extremely easy to scale it up and down. My general portioning for baked sablefish is one 5oz sablefish fillet and two heads of bok choy per person.
But, on the off chance that you do have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The leftover sablefish will be good for the next 1-2 days. Reheat in a toaster oven at 350°F until the fish is just warmed through. Don’t microwave the fish leftovers unless you want a really smelly kitchen.
Whole30 Baked Sablefish with Bok Choy
If you haven't tried sablefish yet, you can get this restaurant-level dinner on the table in less than 30 minutes with my Whole30 Baked Sablefish recipe.
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp avocado oil, divided
- 1 lb bok choy, approximately 4 heads
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 ½ tsp stone ground mustard
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp fish sauce
- 10 oz sablefish, divided into two 5 oz portions
- ¼ cup cilantro, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Keep a sheet pan in the oven as it preheats.
- As the oven preheats, cut the bok choy in half lengthwise and toss with 2 tbsp avocado oil, salt, and pepper.
- After the oven finishes preheating, quickly add the bok choy to the sheet pan, cut side down. Roast for 12 minutes in the oven.
- As the bok choy roasts in the oven, whisk together the marinade by combining the remaining avocado oil, mustard, garlic powder, ground ginger, rice vinegar, and fish sauce.
- Pull the bok choy out of the oven, and flip each half over. The cut side now faces up. Blot your sablefish fillets dry using a paper towel, and place on top of the bok choy. Use a pastry brush to spread the marinade on top of the sablefish.
- Return sheet pan to the oven and bake for 10 minutes, or until fish is opaque and cooked through.
- Top with chopped cilantro and serve.
