Beautiful plump fish covered with a butterscotch-colored sauce on a bed of snow-white puree, this is a very subtle dish, in a good way. The ratio of honey to mustard to soy sauce is perfect: you get sweet and salty with a little bite to complement the mild fish. The whipped parsnips are smooth and just rich enough with butter and cream. Bok choy makes a crisp accompaniment.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 4
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
In a small bowl, blend the honey, mustard, and soy with a small whisk or dinner fork. Put the cod fillets in a resealable plastic bag and pour in half of the honey mustard. Reserve the remaining sauce for serving. Marinate the cod in the fridge for 6 hours or preferably overnight.
Step 2
Put the parsnips and potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water by 1 inch. Add the salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Once the water boils, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the vegetables are very tender but not falling apart, about 30 minutes.
Step 3
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 450°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat with nonstick spray.
Step 4
Drain the vegetables in a colander and transfer to a food processor. Puree, adding the cream and 4 tablespoons butter through the feed tube. Transfer to a medium pot, cover, and keep warm while you cook the fish.
Step 5
Remove the fish from the marinade, scraping off the excess; discard the marinade. Lay the fillets in a single layer on the baking sheet. Bake until the fish flakes easily and is cooked through, 10 minutes.
Step 6
While the fish is roasting, cook the bok choy. Arrange the bok choy cut side down in a single layer in a large skillet. Add 1/4 cup water to coat the bottom of the pan and the remaining tablespoon of butter. Set over medium-high heat and cook, turning the bok choy with tongs, until the water and butter become a glaze and the bok choy has softened slightly, 5 minutes.
Step 7
To serve, spoon the parsnip puree onto 4 plates, lay the fish on top, and arrange the bok choy next to it. Drizzle with the reserved honey mustard.
Ingredient Note
Step 8
Black Cod
Step 9
Black cod is actually not cod at all but sablefish. To add to the confusion, in some markets, the white fish is also referred to as butterfish, dubbed so for its rich creamy texture. Black cod is found all along the cold depths off the Pacific coast of the U.S. and Canada, with Alaskan fish considered the best in quality for its tender, sweet flavor. You’ll often see smoked black cod in New York delis; the fish’s high fat content makes it excellent for smoking. If you are landlocked and fresh sablefish/black cod is not available, check out the frozen section; the oily nature of the flesh stands up very well to freezing.
Step 10
Parsnips
Step 11
Parsnips are a root vegetable that looks like a large white carrot. They have a sweet nutty flavor and a buttery-soft texture. Like potatoes, peeled parsnips will turn dark when exposed to the air, so cook them right away or hold them in water.
