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How to Cook Sablefish

I have a feeling you’re intimidated by fish. You like fish, but you’re afraid of splurging on an expensive fillet only to end up with a flavorless, overcooked meal. Good news – I can help! I have created dozens of fish recipes for my site. I’ll show you how to take expensive fillets, like sablefish, and turn them into the mouthwatering meal they were meant to be!

Grilled fish is a summertime staple for quick meals around here. If you've never had rich, buttery sablefish (black cod), try some! | perrysplate.com #grilledfish #grilling #wildcaught

If you’ve never had sablefish, it’s a rich, buttery white fish – sometimes called black cod. My kids call it “butter fish” and LOVE when I make it!

Fillets like this only need a handful of ingredients. This recipe has easy to find ingredients and comes together really quickly! Overcooking and under seasoning fish are probably the biggest mistakes that people make, but with my tips, your fish will turn out beautifully!

How to cook Sablefish and why you’ll love this Sablefish Recipe

I’m a self-proclaimed fish lover and have been cooking fish weekly for over a decade. Sablefish has a rich, buttery taste that’s different from other types of white fish. (It’s also called black cod, FYI.) But it’s just as easy to prepare!

This grilled white fish is a buttery, flavorful dish that will impress everyone at your table – and won’t stress you out! You can use this technique with any firm white fish, too. (Like cod, halibut, or rockfish.)

I have a couple of tips to get the most out of your sablefish fillet (hint: use fresh herbs!). And I’ll walk you through every step.

What is sablefish?

I got a box of sablefish (also called Alaskan black cod) thinking, “Nice! More cod!”

But when I read a little about sablefish and tried some out, I realized this wasn’t like Pacific cod.

Sablefish has the highest omega-3 content out of all fish (even more than salmon!) and has a rich, buttery texture and taste.

I was seriously blown away. It’s my new favorite fish.

Sitka Salmon Shares has AMAZING high-quality fish!

When you get your share boxes in the mail, the fish is packed with dry ice and blast-frozen just hours after its caught. It’s about the freshest fish you can get without eating it boat-side.

Sitka Salmon Shares has AMAZING high-quality fish!

Grilled fish is a summertime staple for quick meals around here. If you've never had rich, buttery sablefish (black cod), try some! | perrysplate.com #grilledfish #grilling #wildcaught

How to season Grilled Sablefish

In my opinion, the best way to get fish (and shrimp) well-seasoned is to sprinkle a little sea salt on it and let it sit for 10-15 minutes before you cook it.

If I’m using a marinade, I still sprinkle salt on it before I add the marinade so the marinade doesn’t wash all the salt off.

When I made this sablefish recipe, I literally just sprinkled it with salt, let it sit for a while, and the put it on the grill.

Tips for grilling fish! | perrysplate.com #grilledfish

How to cook Sablefish

  1. Lay the fillets on a large plate, skin-side down, and sprinkle each fillet with a generous pinch of sea salt. Let the fish rest at room temperature for 10-15 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, put the oil and garlic into a small skillet and GENTLY heat over medium-low heat. When the garlic starts to sizzle a little, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the herbs and a pinch or two of sea salt. Let it sit for 10-15 minutes so the flavors can combine well.
  3. Preheat the grill to high heat. Grease the grill grates, if needed.
  4. Place the fillets on the grill skin-side UP. Cook, covered, for 3-4 minutes and then flip them over. You’ll want to use a large spatula for this and use swift movements.
  5. Continue to cook until the fish seems to be separating and it pulls apart easily with a fork. Don’t over cook it.
  6. Transfer the fish to a large platter and drizzle the herb oil over the top.

Tips for cooking Whitefish on the Grill

  1. Only grill thick fish fillets like sablefish, salmon, cod, halibut, snapper, and rockfish — especially if you’re a beginner. Thinner fillets like Dover sole fall apart much more quickly and you may end up with half of your fillet slipping between the grates. For fish like that and smaller things like shrimp, I highly recommend using a grill basket.
  2. Make sure your grill grates are greased. You could also drizzle some heat-safe oil on the fish itself to keep it from sticking.
  3. If your fish has skin, put it on the grill skin-side up first. (This also applies when cooking fish in a skillet.)
  4. Only flip it once. Or you’ll be sad.
  5. Don’t overcook it. The fish should start to separate on its own and pull apart easily with a fork. It’ll continue to cook a little with its residual heat.

When I took my sablefish off the grill and tasted it — WHOA. I have never had such great tasting fish before using such little seasoning.

Just salt. That was it.

But, of course, I wanted to take it a step further.

How to take this Sablefish Recipe to the next level

I went out to my herb garden (the only thing I can grow sometimes) and picked a few herbs — dill, thyme, mint, basil, and sage.

Garlic-herb oil is fantastic on grilled fish!

I wanted this to taste like those dipping oils you use with crusty bread at Italian restaurants.

I gently heated some extra-virgin olive oil. Like… super gently. EVOO shouldn’t ever be heated to high temps because it oxidizes super quickly.

I added some microplaned garlic and chopped herbs, took it off the heat, and just let it hang out while the fish was cooking.

Grilled fish is a summertime staple for quick meals around here. If you've never had rich, buttery sablefish (black cod), try some! | perrysplate.com #grilledfish #grilling #wildcaught

I’m glad I followed my gut with this one because THIS. SABLEFISH. WAS. AMAZEBALLS.

This infused oil drizzle would be great with any type of fish, but starting out with a super high quality fillet like sablefish made it even better.

Grilled fish is a summertime staple for quick meals around here. If you've never had rich, buttery sablefish (black cod), try some! | perrysplate.com #grilledfish #grilling #wildcaught

What to serve with Grilled White Fish

Grilled fish makes such an easy dinner! Here are a few ideas for sides you could whip up super fast…

Grilled Vegetables — toss the asparagus (or another quick-cooking vegetable) with oil and put it on the grill alongside the fish. They’ll be done at the same time.

Seasoned Rice — Honestly, I’d go for grilled vegetables AND rice. My Instant Pot Lemon Herb rice would be FANTASTIC with this fish.

A Great Salad — I’ve been known to hack salad kits, but when life is nuts and you just want to eat a great salad, buy a salad kit. If you have an extra few minutes, my Copycat Costco Kale Salad would go well with this fish. Speaking of asparagus, this Grilled Asparagus and Melon salad would be a fancier, fun side, too.

I’d love to know what you think of this. And how it works with other types of firm fish, too.

More Recipes on Perry’s Plate

Best Grilled Fish FAQs

How can you tell if fish is fresh?

When you’re at the store, smell the package of fish, if you can. If there’s a fishy smell, PUT IT BACK.

I usually buy my wild-caught fish at Costco, which is pretty good most of the time. Our Costco stores out west have a lot of Alaskan salmon and other types of fish.

How do you thaw frozen fish?

The safest way is to let it hang out in the refrigerator for a couple of days. Fish thaws out much faster this way than ground beef or chicken.

If I’m in a rush or I forgot to take it out of the freezer, I put the frozen fish in a bowl of tepid water. Usually within a couple of hours (depending on the thickness of the fish) it’ll be thawed out.

(This is probably breaking all kinds of food prep violations, but I do it anyway. #rebel)

Don’t use your microwave’s thawing program. In fact, don’t ever put fish in the microwave. Ever

The Best Grilled Fish

The Best Grilled Fish

Yield: Serves 4-5
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

This is an EASY way to make delicious sablefish (black cod), but you can use this method with any firm white fish like salmon, Pacific cod, halibut, or rockfish.

Ingredients

  • 4-6 Sablefish fillets (about 4-6 ounces each)
  • Sea salt
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 large garlic clove, crushed or grated with a Microplane grater
  • 1-2 Tablespoons minced fresh herbs (dill, thyme, basil, mint)

Instructions

  1. Lay the fillets on a large plate, skin-side down, and sprinkle each fillet with a generous pinch of sea salt. Let the fish rest at room temperature for 10-15 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, put the oil & garlic into a small skillet and GENTLY heat over medium-low heat. When the garlic starts to sizzle a little, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the herbs and a pinch or two of sea salt. Let it sit for 10-15 minutes so the flavors can combine well.
  3. Preheat the grill to high heat. Grease the grill grates, if needed.
  4. Place the fillets on the grill skin-side UP. Cook, covered, for 3-4 minutes and then flip them over. You'll want to use a large spatula for this and use swift movements.
  5. Continue to cook until the fish seems to be separating and it pulls apart easily with a fork. Don't over cook it.
  6. Transfer the fish to a large platter and drizzle the herb oil over the top. Serve.

Notes

Nat's Note: You can use any firm white fish or salmon, too.

Grilled fish is a summertime staple for quick meals around here. If you've never had rich, buttery sablefish (black cod), try some! | perrysplate.com #grilledfish #grilling #wildcaught

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Trupti

Monday 20th of September 2021

Just tried this tonight! Great recipe!!!

Natalie Perry

Wednesday 13th of October 2021

Good to hear!

Beth

Tuesday 20th of July 2021

I have been getting fish from Sitka Salmon Share for just over a year. We love their fish! They have 4 different shares you can get, plus 3 different sizes of boxes. I ordered the middle box for the first year and it was too much fish for our family. This year I’m getting the small box and it’s perfect for my family of 4. Just wanted to put in another good word for this wonderful company and their great product!

Thanks for the recipe. I’m going to use it for the sable I just got in last months box!

Natalie Perry

Monday 26th of July 2021

So glad you enjoy their fish!

Mac with Blue Box

Wednesday 30th of June 2021

Hi i was just wondering what sort of ratio you are using with the herb mixture, mainly how much mint. Equal parts?

Natalie Perry

Monday 12th of July 2021

When I use fresh mint, I like to go light handed with it because it can be strong otherwise. Equal parts of the others and maybe a tsp of fresh mint? It totally depends on your preference, too.

Allison

Monday 24th of May 2021

Looking forward to trying out this recipe. You are dead on about Sitka Salmon Shares... I came across them last year and their fish is incredible!! And the Sablefish is just "wow". I just baked some, from this month's shipment, in some melted butter, lemon juice, sea salt, and dill... it was divine!

Natalie Perry

Wednesday 2nd of June 2021

Isn't that sablefish amazing?! You'll love this recipe!

Kevin

Sunday 18th of April 2021

Absolutely delicious!

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