This honey lime sablefish, also known as black cod, is topped with a spicy jalapeño and fresh corn salsa for a healthy but incredibly flavorful and easy meal.
I hated fish as a kid.
Like to the point of screaming tantrums when my parents would try to get me to eat it.
It just completely grossed me out and I downright refused to eat any of it.
I actually worked myself into the one and only asthma attack I’ve ever had in my life during a shrimp stir-fry dinner (no joke, emergency drive to the doctor at 8pm, EpiPen and everything) which resulted in everyone thinking I was allergic to shellfish until about 8th grade.
While I still will scream like a 4 year old girl if a fish gets to close to me in the water (you can imagine my reaction when snorkeling in Tahiti on our honeymoon and an eel popped out of a rock about 1 inch from my face), I’ve since more than made up for the fact that I spent the first 14 years of my life as a seafood hater.
I’m even a raw oyster fanatic as of late.
So when I was in Alaska last month and one of our first group dinners involved black cod (sablefish), I was kind of surprised I’d never heard of it or had it.
Sure, I’ve heard of and eaten plenty of cod (air fryer cod and air fryer fish sticks being two of my favorite ways to enjoy it!) before but black cod, aka sablefish, is not the same.
One bite into the sablefish at dinner and I was hooked.
It had an Asian flavored sauce on it and just pretty much melted in your mouth.
The fishermen we were eating with talked to us about how it was a locally caught wild fish they sometimes enjoy (when not eating salmon) as a delicacy almost and I knew I had to find a way to get some at home.
What Is Sablefish?
Sablefish is a deep sea fish native to the North Pacific and get this, has the same levels of omega-3s as wild salmon.
Ironically, right before I left for Alaska, Sizzlefish sent me their Paleo Prime Plus collection (all wild-caught and loaded with healthy omega-3s) to try out, among which was some sablefish filets.
I threw it in the freezer, more excited about the Coho and Sockeye salmon in the box than anything else, went to Alaska a week later, tried sablefish for the first time and completely forget I had just received some at home buried deep in the mess that is my freezer basket.
Poking around a few weeks later for chicken breasts (which I didn’t have) I stumbled upon it again and immediately took it out to thaw.
Making This Sablefish Recipe
It’s a buttery, flaky and relatively mild fish that stands up super well to a strong marinade.
I chose to serve the fish with a spicy sweet corn jalapeño salsa since it’s the end of summer.
This mango habanero salsa or a pineapple habanero salsa are two other great summery options as well.
I can also envision it just as well over some comforting polenta or grits in the winter for a heartier dish.
I will never give up wild salmon as my favorite fish, but sablefish has really impressed me with its taste and nutritional profile when I’m more in the white fish kinda mood.
Can’t find sablefish? Use cod or halibut for this recipe. Or, try this blackened cod recipe or cod piccata instead.
MORE FISH RECIPES TO TRY:
Rosemary Cornmeal Beer Battered Fish with Tangy Yogurt Remoulade
Dijon Almond Crusted Tilapia
Pan Fried Halibut with Kiwi Berry Salsa
Honey Lime Sablefish Recipe
Ingredients
For the Fish
- 12 ounces sablefish, 2 filets
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
- juice of 1/2 a lime
- salt and pepper
For the Jalapeno Corn Salsa
- 1 ear of sweet corn
- 1 jalapeno, sliced into thin rings
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- 1/2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- juice of 1 lime
Instructions
For the Fish
- Whisk the honey, sesame oil, soy, lime juice, salt and pepper together in a large bowl.
- Place the sablefish in the marinade, turn to coat, cover and refrigerate for 1-4 hours, turning half way through.
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees, line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place marinaded filets on the parchment and bake for about 7-8 minutes until flesh is opaque and just cooked through.
- While fish cooks, pour the marinade from the bowl into a small sauce pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring frequently until reduced and thickened.
- Brush the thickened marinade onto the fish once out of the oven.
For the Jalapeno Corn Salsa
- Prepare the salsa by cutting off kernels from the ear of corn and combining them in a small bowl with the remaining salsa ingredients.
- Serve fish immediately with salsa.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
*While Sizzlefish sent me some of their product to try, this is not a sponsored post, I just really loved the fish!
Gina Matsoukas is an AP syndicated writer. She is the founder, photographer and recipe developer of Running to the Kitchen — a food website focused on providing healthy, wholesome recipes using fresh and seasonal ingredients. Her work has been featured in numerous media outlets both digital and print, including MSN, Huffington post, Buzzfeed, Women’s Health and Food Network.
This recipe was fantastic and easy. I marinated it for not quite an hour, and it was still rich and flavorful, the taste of the fish coming through along with the seasoning. I boiled the marinade so we could pour a little over the cooked sablefish. This would great for many different kinds of fish–or even chicken or beef.
This fish sounds so delicious! What a great marinade — and the corn is the perfect accompaniment. Yay!
Honey lime fish with corn and jalapeño salsa… count me in! I love all types of seafood and fish, just not mussels, squid, clams and oysters. Basically nothing that is chewy!
I’ve always loved seafood but not when it’s in the water with me! One time, when I was about 13 years old, a friend of mine and I were in shin deep water in the Gulf. No joke – 3 sting rays surrounded us. We started screaming and ran so fast out of the water. It took me years to get comfortable enough to go in the ocean again and to this day, I’ve probably only been in the ocean water a handful of times in the past 20 years!
This meal looks wonderful, Gina. I’ve never had sablefish but I’m a huge sucka for any tender, flaky flavorful fish. The honey lime sauce and the jalapeno are nice touches to this dish!
What a unique recipe!! I can’t wait to try!!
Sablefish is one of my favorites – it’s not easy to find in our neck of the woods so great to learn of a reliable online source.
Buttery and flaky? Sign me up! I’m a uuuuuuge fan of seafood (although just like you, I hated it as a kid…probably because my parents fed me fish sticks bleh!), and this swimmer looks amazing! I’ve never tried sablefish and now I’m anxious to give ‘er a whirl.
I just had sablefish for the first time when I got it through Sizzlefish, and oh my goodness I fell in love! It’s so buttery and rich tasting. I love the honey lime marinade and salsa you made to go with it!