Black Cod

Modeled after Hunan-style steamed fish, this fiery, fast, flavor-blasted weeknight-friendly dinner is rounded out with a cooling cucumber salad and steamed rice.

You can use this foolproof steaming method to cook any sturdy fish—salmon, snapper, black cod, or arctic char would all be great.

If you can't find sablefish, swap in lox, NBD.

Pro tip: Viva brand paper towels are used at Rintaro specifically for insulating the cod from its salty cure and will absorb moisture without falling apart.

The secret to removing the pin bones from black cod is to wait until after it’s been cooked.

Give Swiss chard a flavor boost by adding whole chopped lemon instead of just the juice. Simmering it first softens the texture and bitter undertones. Serve this black cod recipe with some quinoa.

I could eat a meal like this almost every night. It's light and fresh, with vegetables and flaky fish poached in a perfumed broth. Five-spice powder is a Chinese spice blend combining equal parts cinnamon, star anise, clove, fennel, and Szechuan peppercorns, and can be found these days in most well-stocked grocery stores. A spa meal without the sacrifice, the chewy udon noodles and bok choy soak up that brothy flavor and round out this quick meal perfectly. Who said eating well was hard work?

Also known as butterfish or black cod (though it’s not related to codfish), this large cold-water fish lives in the north Pacific Ocean. Its flaky white flesh is flavorful and, yes, buttery, with an omega-3 oil content that rivals that of salmon. Sablefish tastes milder than other fatty fish, but, like them, it can be prepared by high-heat cooking methods such as grilling. Limited supplies and high demand in Japan have driven up the price of sablefish, but it’s a healthful and flavorful splurge. (And it’s an environmentally sound choice.)

Sablefish’s succulent texture and high oil content make it an exceptional choice for steaming. In this recipe, the fish is steamed in parchment-paper packets (en papillote), which seal in moisture and flavor.

This aromatic stew can be made with other types of fish, including haddock or regular cod, but sablefish delivers higher amounts of omega-3 fatty acids. A whole-wheat baguette is good for sopping up the broth.

Sablefish, also known as black cod, is among the best sources of heart-friendly omega-3 fatty acids. Here, the fish is combined with bok choy, which contains antioxidants and fiber. The hoisin mixture, brushed on top of the fish before broiling, is essentially a quick barbecue sauce.