Searing Sablefish: The Perfect Pan Method

Sablefish, also known as black cod, is a rich, buttery, flaky white fish with a high fat content. This makes it an excellent choice for pan-searing as it is very difficult to overcook.

To pan-sear sablefish, you will need to ensure the fillets are completely dry, seasoned, and placed in a hot pan with oil to create a golden crust. The key to a good sear is to ensure the fish is not disturbed for several minutes, allowing the skin to crisp up.

How to get a crispy skin

To get a crispy skin when pan-searing sablefish, you need to master heat and moisture. Here are the steps to achieve that:

Step 1: Dry the Sablefish Skin

Scrape off moisture from the skin with a knife. Gently drag the blade across the skin and use a paper towel to wipe the moisture off the knife every few passes. Repeat this process until the knife comes up dry each time. Be careful not to press too hard and smash the fish. After this, pat the fillets dry with paper towels.

Step 2: Choose Your Pan

For the crispiest skin, use a cast-iron or carbon steel skillet. These skillets, when seasoned properly, offer some non-stick benefits. You can also use stainless steel, which doesn't have non-stick properties but will work with the right technique. Avoid non-stick skillets as they will not give you the same crispy results.

Step 3: Heat the Pan and Oil

Heat the skillet over medium-high heat. Add just enough oil to cover the bottom of the skillet. Heat the oil until it shimmers and is hot enough to sizzle.

Step 4: Season the Sablefish

Season the sablefish fillets with salt and pepper. It is best to do this just before cooking, as salting too far in advance will draw out moisture from the fillets, making the skin wet.

Step 5: Place the Sablefish in the Pan

Carefully place the seasoned fillets, skin-side down, into the hot skillet. Press down firmly on the fillets with a fish spatula to ensure good skin-to-pan contact and hold for about 15 seconds.

Step 6: Sear the Sablefish

Let the sablefish sear undisturbed until the fillets release easily. This should take about 4 to 5 minutes. Then, carefully flip the fillets and cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 130°F (54.4°C) for medium doneness.

The importance of drying the fillet

Drying the fillet is a crucial step in achieving the perfect sear on your sablefish. Sablefish is a rich, fatty fish with a high fat content, and drying the fillet helps to remove excess moisture from the outside of the fish. This is important because you want to avoid the fish soaking up the oil in the pan. By ensuring the fillet is dry, you can also achieve a beautiful golden crust on the fish.

To dry the fillet, use a paper towel or tea towel to pat the fish dry. You can also use a butter knife to gently scrape down the skin of the fish to remove any excess moisture. This step is especially important if you plan to cook the fish with the skin on, as you want the skin to be dry before it hits the hot pan. It is also important to ensure that your fillet is dry before seasoning it with salt. If you add salt to a wet fillet, it will pull the moisture to the surface of the fish, which can affect the sear.

Once the fillet is dry, it's essential to let it come to room temperature before cooking. This step helps the fish cook more evenly and prevents it from sticking to the pan. Aim for about 15 to 20 minutes at room temperature, and if your fillet is very thick, you may need a little more time.

By taking the time to properly dry your sablefish fillet and bringing it to room temperature, you'll be well on your way to achieving a perfect sear.

When to add seasoning

When it comes to seasoning sablefish, there are a few things to keep in mind to ensure the best results. Firstly, it is important to pat the fish dry before adding any seasoning. This step helps remove excess moisture, which can interfere with the searing process and prevent a crispy, golden crust from forming.

Once the fish is dry, you can season it with salt and pepper, or other seasonings of your choice. Some recipes suggest adding salt only right before cooking, as it can draw out moisture from the fish if added too far in advance. However, other recipes recommend seasoning the fish and then letting it rest at room temperature for about 15 to 20 minutes before cooking. This allows the seasoning to penetrate the fish and brings it closer to room temperature, which can help it cook more evenly.

After seasoning, the next step is to heat your pan and oil until sizzling hot before adding the fish. This will ensure a good sear and prevent the fish from soaking up too much oil. For the best sear, it is important to achieve good skin-to-pan contact by pressing down firmly on the fillet with a spatula when you first place it in the pan.

In summary, the key to successful seasoning is to ensure the fish is dry before adding salt and other seasonings, and then to allow it to rest for a brief period to let the flavours develop before cooking.

The best oils for pan-searing

When pan-searing sablefish, it's important to use an oil with a high smoke point as this type of cooking involves using high heat. Oils with a low smoke point will burn and turn acrid, ruining your dish.

Avocado oil has the highest smoke point, but it can be expensive. More affordable alternatives include canola, corn, vegetable, safflower, peanut, and sunflower oil. If you want to use olive oil, make sure it is light or refined, as extra virgin olive oil has a low smoke point.

When pan-searing sablefish, you'll want to add just enough oil to cover the bottom of your skillet or pan. Heat the oil until it begins to shimmer and sizzle before carefully placing your fillet into the pan.

Method 1:

Ingredients:

• Sablefish fillet
• High-heat cooking oil
• Salt and pepper
• Skillet or pan

Steps:

• Heat your skillet or pan over medium-high heat.
• Pat the sablefish fillet dry with a paper towel, then season with salt and pepper.
• Add enough oil to cover the bottom of your skillet or pan.
• Allow the oil to heat up until it shimmers and sizzles.
• Carefully place the fillet, skin-side down, into the pan.
• Use a fish spatula to press down firmly on the fillet for about 15 seconds, ensuring good contact between the skin and the pan.
• Sear undisturbed for about 4-5 minutes, or until the fillet releases easily from the pan.
• Flip the fillet carefully and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 130°F for medium doneness.

Method 2:

Ingredients:

• Sablefish fillet
• Olive oil
• Butter
• Salt and pepper
• Heavy pan
• Thin metal spatula

Steps:

• Pat the sablefish fillet dry and season both sides with salt and pepper.
• Let the fillet rest at room temperature for about 15 minutes (this helps prevent sticking).
• Add olive oil and butter to your heavy pan and melt the butter over medium heat.
• Place the fillet, skin-side down, into the pan and cook for about 4 minutes, depending on its thickness.
• As the sablefish cooks, it will turn opaque from the bottom up. When it's halfway cooked, use a thin metal spatula to test if it's ready to flip. If the spatula slides easily under the fish, it's time to flip.
• Flip the fillet and continue cooking for about 4 minutes, or until the sides are opaque.
• Remove the fish from the pan.

Tips:

• When pan-searing fish, it's important to pat it dry before cooking to remove excess moisture and ensure a crispy skin.
• Use just enough oil to cover the bottom of your pan to prevent the fish from frying.
• If using butter, be careful not to let the oil and butter smoke, as this will burn your dish.

How long to cook each side

When pan-searing sablefish, it's important to ensure that the pan and oil are sufficiently hot before adding the fillet. This will help you achieve a beautiful sear and prevent the fillet from soaking up too much oil.

Once the oil is hot enough, carefully place the fillet skin-side down into the skillet. Use a fish spatula to press down firmly on the fillet, holding for about 15 seconds to ensure good skin-to-pan contact. This step is crucial for getting that coveted crispy, golden skin.

Now, for the question of how long to cook each side:

After adding the fillet to the pan, sear the first side undisturbed for about 4 to 5 minutes. This will allow the skin to crisp up and turn golden brown. The exact timing may vary slightly depending on your heat source and the thickness of your fillet, so keep an eye on it to avoid overcooking.

Once the first side is nicely seared, it's time to flip the fillet carefully. Cook the second side for about 2 to 3 additional minutes. This timing will bring the fillet to medium doneness, with an internal temperature of 130°F (54.4°C) at its thickest part. If you prefer your fish more well-done, you can cook it a bit longer until the internal temperature reaches 135°F (57.2°C) or even 145°F (62.8°C) as recommended by the FDA for consuming cooked fish.

Remember, sablefish is a particularly fatty fish, so it's quite forgiving to cook, even with high-heat methods like pan-searing. So don't stress too much about the timing; just keep an eye on your fillet and adjust the heat as needed to avoid burning.

Frequently asked questions