BBQ Wild Sablefish (or Cod) with Parsley Verde and Charred Summer Vegetables

Rich, buttery wild sablefish (or cod, salmon, or chicken) brushed with a smoky, tangy homemade BBQ sauce, sweetened only with a little maple, and grilled or roasted until sticky and caramelized. A bright parsley verde cuts through the sauce, and a platter of charred zucchini, peppers, eggplant, broccoli, and red onion rounds out the meal.

Yield: Serves 4 · Active: 30 min · Total: 40 min · Best in North America in summer, when zucchini, eggplant, and peppers peak (fresh Alaskan sablefish is caught from spring through fall, and frozen-at-sea is excellent year-round) · Best eaten: early evening

About sablefish: Sablefish, also called black cod, isn't actually a cod at all. It's a deep-water fish from the North Pacific with silky, buttery white flesh and one of the highest omega-3 contents of any fish. Its richness makes it wonderfully forgiving on the grill or in the oven.

Ingredients

Homemade BBQ sauce (makes about ¾ cup)

• ⅓ cup tomato paste

• ¼ cup water

• 2 tbsp raw apple cider vinegar

• 1½ tbsp maple syrup

• 1 tbsp coconut aminos

• 1 tsp Dijon mustard

• 1 tsp smoked paprika

• ½ tsp garlic powder

• ½ tsp onion powder

• ¼ tsp chipotle powder (more for heat)

• ¼ tsp Baja Gold sea salt

Parsley verde

• 1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

• 2 tbsp fresh chives or scallions, finely sliced

• 1 tbsp capers, rinsed and chopped

• 1 small garlic clove, grated

• Zest of ½ lemon, plus 1 tbsp juice

• 1 tsp raw apple cider vinegar

• ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil

• Pinch of Baja Gold sea salt

Fish

• 4 wild sablefish (black cod) fillets, about 6 oz each, or wild Pacific cod or wild salmon

• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• ½ tsp Baja Gold sea salt

Prefer chicken? This BBQ sauce is also delicious on 2 lb pasture-raised bone-in chicken thighs (see the method).

Charred summer vegetables

• 2 medium zucchini, cut lengthwise into planks

• 1 medium eggplant, cut into ½-inch rounds

• 2 bell peppers (red, yellow, or orange), cut into wide strips

• 1 head broccoli, cut into long spears

• 1 red onion, cut into thick wedges

• 4–5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• ¾ tsp Baja Gold sea salt

• Squeeze of lemon

Method

1. Make the BBQ sauce. Whisk everything in a small saucepan and simmer 5 minutes, until thick and glossy. Let it cool slightly.

2. Make the parsley verde. Stir everything together. Keep it loose and bright.

3. Char the vegetables. Toss them with the olive oil and salt and grill over medium-high heat (or sear in a cast iron skillet in batches) 3–4 minutes per side, until charred and tender. Finish with lemon. Eggplant soaks up oil, so brush the rounds generously and cook them until they're completely soft and creamy inside, 4–5 minutes per side. Broccoli spears take about 6–8 minutes, turning often, until charred at the tips and tender at the stems.

4. Cook the fish. Rub the fillets with olive oil and salt. To grill, oil the grates well and cook skin-side down over medium heat 5–6 minutes, then brush with BBQ sauce, flip carefully, brush again, and cook 2–3 minutes more. To roast, bake skin-side down at 400°F for 6 minutes, brush generously with sauce, and roast 4–7 minutes more, broiling the last 1–2 minutes to caramelize. Sablefish and cod are done at about 135°F, and salmon at about 125°F, when the fish just flakes. Sablefish and cod are delicate, so roasting is easier than grilling.

   • For chicken thighs: Season them with salt, then grill or roast at 425°F skin-side up for 30–35 minutes, brushing with BBQ sauce for the last 10 minutes, until they reach 175°F.

5. Plate. Pile the charred vegetables on each plate, set the fish (or chicken) on top, and spoon the parsley verde over everything, with extra BBQ sauce on the side.

Storage: Fish, up to 2 days refrigerated (chicken, up to 4 days); BBQ sauce, up to 2 weeks; parsley verde, up to 4 days; vegetables, up to 4 days.

Nourishment Notes: Wild sablefish brings one of the richest supplies of omega-3s (EPA and DHA) of any fish, plus selenium and B12. Wild salmon brings omega-3s, vitamin D, selenium, and astaxanthin. Wild cod offers lean protein, selenium, and B12. Pasture-raised chicken brings complete protein, B vitamins, and collagen. Tomato paste adds lycopene, concentrated by cooking. Parsley brings vitamin K, vitamin C, and apigenin. Bell peppers offer vitamin C and beta-carotene. Eggplant brings fiber and nasunin, an antioxidant in its purple skin. Broccoli offers glucosinolates, vitamin C, and vitamin K. Zucchini and red onion bring potassium and quercetin.

For your cycle: The omega-3s in sablefish and salmon help calm menstrual inflammation, and peppers' vitamin C supports iron absorption, which makes this supportive in every phase.

Sourcing

• Fish — wild Alaskan or British Columbia sablefish (a Seafood Watch Best Choice), wild Pacific cod, or wild Alaskan sockeye, coho, or king salmon, from Vital Choice or a trusted fishmonger

• Chicken (optional) — pasture-raised, from a local farm raising birds on pasture, or White Oak Pastures

• Tomato paste — organic, in glass, with no added sugar (Bionaturae and Jovial both make it)

• Maple syrup — organic Grade A dark

• Coconut aminos — organic, like Coconut Secret

• Dijon mustard — organic, with no preservatives or sugar; Delouis Fils and Maison Orphée both make organic Dijon from just mustard seeds, vinegar, water, and salt

• Raw apple cider vinegar — organic, with the mother (Bragg)

• Spices (smoked paprika, garlic and onion powder, chipotle) — organic and non-irradiated

• Parsley, chives, capers, zucchini, eggplant, peppers, broccoli, red onion, garlic, and lemons — organic, from a farmers' market

• Extra virgin olive oil — organic, single-estate, harvest-dated, in dark glass

• Baja Gold sea salt

— Anna aka Food Marshall