Wild Cod with Sautéed Cabbage and Cauliflower-Leek Purée

Flaky wild Pacific cod seared until golden, set over a silky purée of cauliflower and sweet, slow-cooked leeks, with buttery sautéed cabbage and a squeeze of lemon. Simple, cozy, and deeply comforting.

Yield: Serves 4 · Active: 30 min · Total: 40 min · Best in North America from fall through early spring, when cabbage, cauliflower, and leeks are at their sweetest · Best eaten: early evening

Ingredients

Cauliflower-leek purée

• 2 tbsp grass-fed butter

• 2 leeks, white and light green parts only, sliced and well rinsed

• 1 medium head cauliflower, cut into florets

• 1 cup chicken bone broth

• ½ tsp Baja Gold sea salt

Sautéed cabbage

• 2 tbsp grass-fed butter or extra virgin olive oil

• ½ medium green or Savoy cabbage, thinly sliced

• 1 tsp caraway seeds (optional)

• ½ tsp Baja Gold sea salt

• 1 tsp raw apple cider vinegar

Fish

• 4 wild Pacific cod or Pacific halibut fillets (about 6 oz each)

• ¾ tsp Baja Gold sea salt

• 1 tbsp ghee

• Lemon wedges and chopped fresh parsley or chives, to serve

Method

1. Make the purée. Melt the butter in a pot over medium-low heat. Add the leeks with a pinch of salt and cook gently 8–10 minutes, until very soft and sweet but not browned. Add the cauliflower and broth, cover, and simmer 12–15 minutes, until completely tender. Blend until silky, adding a splash more broth if needed, and season with salt. Keep warm.

2. Sauté the cabbage. Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the cabbage, caraway, and salt and cook 8–10 minutes, tossing occasionally, until tender and golden in spots. Finish with the vinegar.

3. Sear the fish. Pat the fillets completely dry and season with salt. Heat the ghee in a large skillet over medium-high heat and sear 3–4 minutes, until golden, then flip and cook 2–3 minutes more, until the fish just flakes and reads about 135°F at the thickest point.

4. Plate. Spoon a generous swoosh of cauliflower-leek purée onto each plate, add a mound of sautéed cabbage, and set the fish on top. Finish with lemon and fresh herbs.

Storage: Fish, up to 2 days refrigerated; purée and cabbage, up to 4 days. Rewarm the purée with a splash of broth.

Nourishment Notes

Wild Pacific cod and halibut — lean complete protein, selenium, iodine, B12, and B6.

Cauliflower — glucosinolates, choline, and vitamin C.

Leeks — prebiotic fibers (inulin and fructooligosaccharides), kaempferol, and vitamin K.

Cabbage — glucosinolates, vitamin C, and vitamin K.

Caraway — traditionally used to ease bloating.

Chicken bone broth — gelatin, glycine, and minerals.

For your cycle: Cabbage and cauliflower support estrogen metabolism through Phase 2 liver detoxification, and leeks' prebiotic fibers feed the gut bacteria that help clear used hormones.

Sourcing

• Fish — wild Pacific cod from Alaska, or wild Pacific halibut from Alaska or British Columbia, from a trusted fishmonger or Vital Choice. Skip Atlantic halibut, which Seafood Watch lists as “avoid” (wild seafood can't be certified organic)

• Cauliflower, leeks, and cabbage — organic, from a farmers' market

• Grass-fed butter and ghee — organic, cultured butter from 100% grass-fed cows, or Ancient Organics ghee

• Chicken bone broth — homemade from pasture-raised chicken, or Bonafide Provisions (organic, sold frozen)

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

• Caraway, lemons, and fresh herbs — organic

• Salt — Baja Gold sea salt; Maldon or fleur de sel de Guérande for finishing

— Anna aka Food Marshall