Black Cod over Fresh Fettuccine in Dashi Broth

Black Cod over Fresh Fettuccine in Dashi Broth
Shiitake, Castelvetrano Olives, Fried Garlic, Chives

Here’s another excellent dish inspired by Nobu Matsuhisa, where he gives Japanese noodles in hot broth a Western twist by substituting Italian pasta.

Since there are but a few ingredients – where olives play a big role – choose super-tasty, buttery, meaty Castelvetrano olives. And the pasta has to be fresh, not dried, where the tender velvety texture is heavenly in the savory umami-rich dashi broth. Flavorful earthy shiitakes are wonderful in this dish, oyster or chanterelle mushrooms would work also, however common button mushrooms would be way too boring. Lastly, the star is black cod (aka sablefish), with its silky-rich luxurious flesh and its contrasting crispy skin.

Black Cod over Fresh Fettuccine Recipe

Garlic

• 3 garlic cloves, slivered

Fry garlic in neutral oil, we like avocado oil, until golden. Transfer to paper towels. Season with a bit of fine sea salt. Set aside while preparing the rest of the dish.

Shiitake

• 5 oz. sliced shiitake mushrooms

Sauté shiitake in olive oil over medium heat. Season with sea salt and fresh ground pepper.

Note: Shiitakes do not have much water in them, to help soften and not shrivel, I add a good splash of water while they are cooking. The water will evaporate and the mushrooms will turn out to be meaty and plump with a caramelized exterior.

Dashi Broth

• 2 c. dashi
• 3 T. low-sodium tamari
• 2 1/2 T. sake

Bring the three ingredients to a simmer in a small pot. Do not boil.

Note: You can make dashi from scratch, or use 1/2 t. Hondashi granules in two cups of water.

Crispy Skin Black Cod

• black cod fillet with skin, approx. 10 -12 oz.

Black cod should be cool, close to room temperature before cooking. Cut fillet into two 5 – 6 oz. portions. Pat fish dry with paper towels. Season both sides of the fish with salt and pepper.

Heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat with barely enough oil to coat the entire bottom of the pan. Place fish skin-side-down in hot oil and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until the skin is crispy. Adjust heat to medium if too hot.

Flip and cook the other side. These fillets were thin, so they were cooked for one minute on the second side. Thicker fillets might need up to 3 minutes.

Pasta

• 5 oz. fresh fettuccine

Cook pasta right before ready to serve. Fresh pasta only takes a couple minutes to cook. Follow package instructions.

More Garnish

• 10 – 12 castelvetrano olives, pitted
• chives, chopped and whole

Note: These olives are so good, you really want more than just a couple per dish!

Plate for 2

Place fettuccine in the center of warm shallow bowls. Place warm shiitake over one-third of the pasta, olives over another third.

Ladle hot dashi broth over the top.

Place black cod, skin-side-up, in the last third of the bowl.

Sprinkle with fried garlic and chopped chives. Add a few whole chive strands as garnish.

More NOBU

White King Salmon here

Spicy Salmon with Shrimp Chips here

More Black Cod aka Sablefish, Two Ways

Crispy Skin Black Cod with Spicy Garlic Mayonnaise and Broiled Miso Sablefish with Lemon Ponzu here