Pan-roasted black cod with Thai curry sauce

Pan-roasted black cod with Thai curry sauce

Photograph by Dan Goldberg
SERVES 4
TIME 30 minutes

Ingredients

2 1/2 tbsp. olive oil
3 tbsp. minced shallots
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 stalks fresh lemongrass
1 tbsp. Thai green curry paste
1 tbsp. minced fresh ginger
1/4 tsp. turmeric
1 can (13 1/2 oz.) coconut milk
1 tbsp. Asian fish sauce
1 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. grated lime peel
Salt
4 pieces (1 in. thick; 5 oz. each) boned, skinned tender, white-fleshed fish, such as black cod or halibut, rinsed and dried
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Pour 1 tbsp. oil into a medium saucepan over medium heat. When hot, add shallots and garlic and cook, stirring often, until limp, about 2 minutes.

2. Trim ends from lemongrass stalks and peel off tough outer layers; crush with the flat side of a large knife, then cut into lengths that will fit in your pan. Stir curry paste, ginger, turmeric, and lemongrass into pan; cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add coconut milk, fish sauce, sugar, and lime peel; simmer, stirring often, until sauce is slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove lemongrass. Add salt to taste.

3. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 450°. Sprinkle both sides of fish with salt and pepper. Pour remaining 11/2 tbsp. oil into a large ovenproof frying pan over medium-high heat. Add fish and cook until browned on the bottom, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn pieces and transfer pan to oven. Bake just until fish is opaque in center of thickest part (cut to test), about 8 minutes.

4. Spoon curry sauce onto 4 plates and top with fish.

Per serving 447 cal., 70% (315 cal.) from fat; 26 g protein; 35 g fat (21 g sat.); 9.8 g carbo (0.2 g fiber); 307 mg sodium; 85 mg chol.

Serve with 2007 Chatter Creek Viognier