Fresh Alaska seafood is a regular feature aboard the
Alaska Adventurer. The abundance of quality Alaska
seafood is something that we like to share with our guests
and is also the lifeblood of the economy of our unique
home port, Petersburg. One of my personal favorite
choices of seafood is sablefish, or more commonly known
as black cod. It is actually not in the cod
family of fish - it lives at tremendous
depths of between 600 feet to over 3000
feet and is unfortunately, well out of range
of our recreational fishing gear. Chatham
Strait black cod’s delicate white flesh is
renowned for its sumptuous rich flavor and
high oil content, and is loaded with mighty
omega 3 fatty acids which health experts
recommend we consume regularly as part
of an ideal healthy diet.
This recipe, Sake Kasu Black Cod, is one of my choice
methods to prepare this wonderfully scrumptious fish.
Because the majority of the commercial catch of this
delectable deep dwelling specie is exported to Japan where
it is highly prized, it can be difficult to locate black cod
in seafood markets. One of the best sources for high
quality black cod as well as other fine seafood that’s
delivered right to your door, is our friends at Vital Choice
Wild Seafood and Organics: www.VitalChoice.com.
The other main ingredient for this amazing
recipe is sake kasu, which is a marinade made
from the lees or solids remaining from the sake
fermenting process that did not or could not be
fermented. Kasu paste or prepared sake kasu marinade can be found at Asian food markets. The importance
of care given to absolutely insure that overcooking any seafood
can’t be stressed enough, and is especially true with black
cod which is a very delicate fish. Be sure to find the opportunity
to treat yourself and friends to this wonderful preparation.
You’ll be glad you did! Enjoy…
Black Cod Sake Kasu
Ingredients:
2 to 2-1/2 lbs. Black Cod fillet, skin on,
bones removed, cut into 4 serving pieces
1/2 cup kosher or table salt, more if needed
6 oz. (3/4 cup) kasu paste (available at Asian markets)
1/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup water
Fresh ginger, thinly sliced and blanched, or pickled ginger for
serving
Directions:
Place black cod pieces skin side down in a
shallow dish. Sprinkle a generous layer of salt over the fish,
cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. Rinse the
salt from the fish and pat dry, then return the fish to the
cleaned dish. Stir together the kasu paste and sugar in a
small bowl until smooth. Slowly stir in the water. Pour the
kasu mixture evenly over the fish, cover, and refrigerate for
another 24 - 48 hours. Turn on grill or light coals.
When grill is very hot, remove black cod from the
marinade, allowing excess to drip off. Grill fish until
nicely browned and just cooked through, about 5
minutes per side. Carefully transfer to individual
plates, top with fresh or pickled ginger, and serve.
Makes 4 servings.
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Black Cod Sake Kasu
