ON THE COVER
BLACK GOLD
AKA sablefish, is the fisherman’s treasure of the sea By Leslie A. Westbrook Photos by Eliot Crowley
I
serendipitously discovered locally harvested wild black cod for home preparation thanks to an enthusiastic recommendation from a local fisherman. I had savored the smooth, buttery fish at a few fine restaurants, but had never prepared it myself until a couple of years ago. I tested a miso-based recipe and became a fast fan, as have the friends and family I’ve served it to. Turns out, I’d chosen one of the most well-known Asian style marinades, made popular by well-known Japanese restaurateur Nobu Mitsubisa. Properly known as sablefish and abundant in our coastal waters, black cod may not be the prettiest fish in the world, but it might be one of the best. Also referred to as butterfish, this delicacy melts in your mouth. It is sustainably harvested, has a tiny bone line (that can be easily cut out and removed or with tweezers after cooking, but don’t let this stop you) and makes a perfect replacement for non-sustainable Chilean sea bass. Deep-sea, long line fishing— this method is just a decade old for the Santa Barbara fishing fleet— for the super high in 28
FOOD + HOME
Omega 3 fish is practiced 1020 miles outside of the Channel Islands. The Santa Barbara Fish Market at the harbor sells it fresh – so fresh it’s practically still wiggling. I recently developed a deeper appreciation for our local fishing community after meeting with one long time commercial fisherman at his Mesa home. For those curious as to how this tasty fish gets to your dinner table, here’s the lowdown from John Colgate, 72, who has been fishing our region since 1972. “It’s surprising the number of people who don’t know about black cod,” John confirms when I share that a savvy East Coast food writer I queried about favorite recipes thought I was referring to salt cod, or bacalau (as it’s know in Portugal – not one of my favorites) while “fishing” for recipes. Black cod has nothing to do with cod. It comes from the family Anoplopomatidae. The sablefish is a species of deepsea fish common to the North Pacific Ocean. Adult sablefish are opportunistic feeders, preying on fish (including Alaskan Pollock, eulachon, capelin, herring, sandlance, and Pacific cod), squid, euphausiids, and jellyfish. Sablefish are long-
