This post is sponsored by Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute. I’m thrilled to be partnering with ASMI to share a series of delicious recipes highlighting sustainable, wild-caught seafood from Alaska.

Try this Alaska sablefish poached in brown butter with baby potatoes and kale for your next date night in or Fish Friday. It’s easy, delicious, and packed with Omega 3s.

Have you ever tried Alaska sablefish? Otherwise known as black cod, it’s a mild but rich whitefish that has even more Omega 3s than salmon. Sablefish holds together well, so it’s ideal for a variety of cooking methods, from grilling to frying to poaching.

For this recipe, we’re poaching wild Alaska sablefish–not in water, not in regular old butter, but in BROWN BUTTER. Why? Brown butter is one of the best ways to add extra richness and an irresistible nuttiness to your food with only a few extra minutes of work. It’s good in everything from rice dishes to chocolate chip cookies.

Along with a little lemon, brown butter serves as the poaching liquid for this Alaska sablefish and as a sauce for vibrant kale and adorable baby potatoes. This is pretty much my dream meal for spring!

Let’s talk a bit about poaching. It basically means cooking in a small amount of liquid that’s hot but not quite boiling. It’s perfect for seafood because it’s such a gentle cooking method that it makes overcooking unlikely.

When you poach in butter instead of water, it makes the fish exquisitely rich, tender, and flavorful. And as I mentioned before, using brown butter instead of regular butter makes this taste (and smell!) even better.

In case you missed it, I’m sharing a whole series of creative gluten-free recipes featuring seafood from Alaska in partnership with the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute this year. I’ve already shared stuffed avocados with Alaska crab, sesame-crusted Alaska salmon salad, gluten-free fritto misto with Alaska seafood, and pumpkin alfredo with seared Alaska scallops.

Fish from Alaska is always wild-caught in a way that’s sustainable for the environment. Alaska seafood is harvested seasonally and available frozen, canned and smoked year round. When you buy Alaska seafood, you can be confident that it’s a healthy choice for you, your family, and the planet–what more could you ask for? 

If you’re looking for Alaska sablefish, you can order it frozen online! It’s available in many grocery stores as well. To defrost frozen fish, remove it from its packaging, place in a bowl, and thaw overnight in the refrigerator. You can also cook it directly from frozen depending on the recipe. 

If you’re as excited about sablefish as I am and want more ways to cook it, check out these recipes: smoked Alaska sablefish from Hunter Angler Gardener Cook, honey lime Alaska sablefish from Running to the Kitchen, and gochugang glazed Alaska black cod from Diverse Dinners.

Alaska Sablefish Poached in Brown Butter with Baby Potatoes & Kale

Yield: 2 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Try this Alaska sablefish poached in brown butter with baby potatoes and kale for your next date night in or Fish Friday. It's easy, delicious, and packed with Omega 3s.

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Ingredients

For the potatoes:

• 1 pound baby potatoes
• 2 sprigs fresh oregano (optional)
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt

For the brown butter poached Alaska sablefish:

• 8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 (6-ounce) Alaska sablefish (black cod) fillets

For the kale:

• 3 cups torn kale leaves, lightly packed
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley (optional)

Instructions

1. To make the baby potatoes, add the potatoes, herbs, and salt to a medium saucepan. Pour in enough cold water so that the potatoes are completely submerged plus a little extra, so the water level reaches about an inch above the top of the potatoes. Cover the pot, bring the water to a boil over high heat, then remove from the heat and set aside while you proceed with the recipe.
2. To make the browned butter, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Once the butter is melted, continue to cook until browned bits appear in the bottom of the pan and turn a deep golden brown, about 10-12 minutes. The butter will bubble noisily until it’s about ready, at which point it will quiet down. You can swirl the pan to check on the butter but do not need to stir it.
3. While the butter is browning, pat the Alaska sablefish fillets dry and season with salt and pepper. (The fillets may contain pin bones that are not worth trying to remove now, but will be extremely easy to pull out once the fish is cooked.)
4. Once the butter is browned, carefully stir in the lemon juice and reduce the heat to low. The butter will bubble up vigorously. Once it calms down to a simmer, add the fish. Cook for 12-15 minutes, carefully turning once or twice if the fillets aren’t totally submerged, until the fish flakes easily and is cooked through (the recommended done temperature for fish is 145°F—I remove mine at 140°). Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked Alaska sablefish to plates for serving. Remove any visible pin bones and remind guests to be on the lookout for them.
5. Pour off all but one tablespoon of the cooking liquid, saving the extra lemon brown butter for serving. Return the pan to the heat, raise the heat to medium high, and add the kale. Sauté for 2-3 minutes, until cooked to your liking. Drain the potatoes. Add the potatoes and kale to the plates with the Alaska sablefish and serve hot with extra brown butter and minced fresh parsley if desired.