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Sablefish with Wild Rice and Green Apple, Coconut Salad

Slow cooked sablefish (black cod) with a wild rice pilaf and a fresh salad of green apples, coconut and green onions. Dressed with a vibrant green basil-mint oil.
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Servings: 4
Course: Main Course
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

Basil-Mint Oil
  • 15 gr Basil leaves about 2/3 cup
  • 6 gr Mint leaves about 1/4 cup
  • 120 ml Canola or grapeseed oil 1/2 cup
  • Pinch salt
Wild Rice
  • 50 gr Shallots finely chopped, about 1/4 cup
  • 30 gr Butter 2 Tbsp
  • 100 gr Mushrooms sliced thin, about 1/2 cup
  • 150 gr Wild rice about 3/4 cup
  • 750 gr Chicken stock 3 cups
Apple Coconut Salad
  • 1 Granny smith apples cored, skin left on
  • 50 gr Coconut fresh but not the young soft type
  • 3 Green onions
  • 2 Tbsp Ginger fresh, julienned
  • 10 Basil leaves Sliced thin
  • 3 Tbsp Lemon juice
Sablefish
  • 100 gr Salt for the brine (optional)
  • 1000 gr Water for the brine, room temperature (optional)
  • 4 Sablefish fillets (or other firm white fish) about 150 - 200 gr each, skin on
  • 3 Tbsp Canola or grapeseed oil
  • Salt and pepper to finish

Method
 

Basil-Mint Oil
  1. This can be made several days ahead and keeps very well in the fridge. The recipe makes more than you need for the fish recipe but it is very versatile and I've used it with poached chicken, tuna salad and in salad dressing.
  2. Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend very well. Put the herb oil in a pan and gently heat it up to 80 C (175 F). This is a key step in setting and preserving the lovely bright green color. Strain it through a fine filter then a coffee filter to make it as clear as possible. It will take a while to go through, maybe 30 minutes at least. Store in a jar in the fridge for up to 2 - 3 weeks.
Wild Rice and Mushrooms
  1. In a sauce pan sauté the shallots with the butter until soft. Add the mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes or so, you do not want to dry or brown them. Add the wild rice, stir everything for a few minutes and add the stock along with a couple large pinches of salt and some pepper to taste. Bring it to a simmer, cover and cook over very low heat for an hour. Wild rice varieties really differ in cooking times. So, start checking at the 45 minute mark and keep cooking, stirring every now and then until the grains are tender, and little liquid remains. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper at the end. Keep warm while you finish the rest of the dish.
Apple and Coconut Salad
  1. Cut the apple in half and make paper thin slices (I used a mandolin for this, but a sharp knife will be fine even if the slices end up a bit thicker). Cut the coconut into similar thin slices. Slice the onion very thinly on a bias. Toss everything together in a bowl, season with salt and adjust by adding more salt or lemon juice to get a fresh tart garnish/salad. This can be prepared while the wild rice is cooking and can sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to an hour.
Sablefish
  1. Brine the fish (optional but highly recommended) by dissolving the salt in the water and letting the fish soak in the solution for 15 minutes. Rinse the fish and pat dry.
  2. Heat your oven to 200 F (93 C).
  3. Rub the fish all over with the oil. Lay them skin side up on a parchment lined sheet pan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. The fish should be translucent and the skin should come off pretty easily if cooked well. Alternatively use a thermometer to monitor and to cook the fish to about 127 F (up to 130 is fine). Peel off the skin and season with salt (be very careful here if you brined the fish, do not oversalt) and black pepper.
  4. Plate the dish up by making a bed of the wild rice, place a fish fillet on top. Place a portion of the salad on top or next to the fish and drizzle the plate with the basil-mint oil.