This recipe yields and incredibly soft, flaky fish with crispy skin and creamy sauce, hitting all textures in the book. This is a classic restaurant technique and will yield the same results every time.
Let me start off by saying this is pan-seared, not pan-fried. Because the skin of this fish is so fatty, you hardly need any oil in the pan. Also, this recipe does not call for any batter or flour, typically found in fried fish.
Omega-3 fatty acids are very nutritious for you, and aside from being a protein, black cod gives you the vitamins and minerals usually found in daily supplements.
Recipe:
For the fish:
2 skinless black cod fillets
1 tsp canola oil
Salt
Pepper
1 tsp smoked paprika
For the fennel salad
1 fennel bulb, sliced
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp white wine vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
For the aioli
1 egg yolk
3/4 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
3 garlic cloves, grated or minced
Heat a 1 tsp canola oil in a nonstick skilled over medium heat. Place seasoned fish skin side down when oil begins to shimmer. Sear for 2-3 minutes until skin is lightly browned and crispy. Cook the other side for 3-4 minutes. Fish should be flaky but soft.
For the salad: combine oil, salt, pepper, and oil in a bowl. The vinaigrette does not have to be emulsified. Toss fennel with vinaigrette until well coated. Set aside.
For the aioli: Place egg yolk in medium side bowl. Stream in oil drop by drop. Make sure to this very slowly, or the sauce will break. Once you have mixed in 1/4 cup of oil, you can increase the speed of the oil. Add salt, pepper, and garlic.
Plate with salad, fish, and aioli.
Enjoy!