January 3rd, 2010 by Dawn Becker

All I can say is look at this gorgeous piece of black cod. Can food be sexy? I say yum. This black cod was begging to be bought, massaged with a light coating of vegetable oil, placed under the broiler until the skin was crisp and the meat flaked with the lightest touch of my fork.

I was at Bill’s Lobster Fish Market located at 599 Gerrard Street East just East of Broadview Avenue looking for their wild Greenland halibut which is usually a foolproof bet. The best way to score at Bill’s Lobster is to ask the shopkeeper (Bill, his wife, or whichever family member is working) what is today’s freshest selection. They’ve never steered me wrong. And as you can see, Bill’s Lobster offers so much more than lobster and crab. You can even special order what you don’t see on hand.

This time the halibut at Bill’s was skinless, not what I was looking for. The black cod beside it was calling louder “take me home – I am delicious”. So that’s exactly what I did. Depending on the thickness and the heat of your oven, you will want to keep a close eye on your fish as you broil it. My oven has a hot spot on broil so I need to move the fish around a little to make sure the skin is crisping evenly. (Oh what I would give for a commercial salamander.)

Seeing as it was an end to two weeks of holiday indulgence, I wanted some lively greens to restore my body to normal functioning. Ha. This is definitely a Chinese trait – as consumed as we are by the food we enjoy, we are equally consumed by… word choices, word choices… the release of consumed food. So to accompany the black cod, I selected some Chinese pea shoots also known as dou miao. It’s important to note that pea shoots available in Asian markets here are not like those sweet little tendrils found in the salad section of your grocer, sometimes going by the name of pea sprouts. One taste of the Chinese pea shoots and you’ll see that they are slightly tougher and closer to watercress in texture. They are best flash-fried in a hot pan with a little oil and very lightly salted. Sauce is to come.

I topped the pea shoots with the fish as you can see above. Then I heated some vegetable oil in a pan till very hot. I like grapeseed oil because it’s healthier than peanut oil and has a high burning temperature so it doesn’t smoke as fast as other vegetable oil. I tossed in some slivers of ginger, a handful of chopped green onions and minced garlic, stir frying quickly in the hot oil. Just before the garlic browns, remove from heat and add some light soy sauce. Pour this salty fragrant sauce over the fish and pea shoots while it’s still hot and serve immediately with steamed rice.

A big thanks to my sister, Belle, who purchased this ornate plate for me for Christmas, but more importantly because she kept pushing me to do this blog. You can read Belle’s blog too, aka Ms. Bookish.

Broiled Black Cod With Chinese Pea Shoots

1lb black cod filet

1lb pea shoots, rinsed and drained well

2 Tbs grapeseed oil

1/2 inch piece of ginger, peeled and sliced thin into toothpick-sized strips

4 green onions, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

1-2 Tbs light soy sauce, depending on saltiness of soy sauce

Preheat oven to broil with rack at the top, about 4” to 6” from the heating element. Lightly coat black cod filet in some oil before placing in oven-proof pan. Broil on high for 5 to 7 minutes checking regularly that skin is crisping but not burning. Move pan around on rack if you experience a hot spot. Fish is ready when the meat flakes easily with a fork or chopsticks. Remove pan from oven and set aside.

Heat 1/2 Tbs of grapeseed oil in a wok until hot. Toss the pea shoots in the oil and fry quickly until slightly wilted. Add a light sprinkle of salt. Spread the wilted pea shoots on a plate. Place the black cod filet on top of the pea shoots.

Heat 1 1/2 Tbs of grapeseed oil in a wok until very hot but not smoking. Fry the ginger slivers until fragrant. Add the green onions and garlic. Remove from heat just before garlic browns. Add soy sauce to pan – be careful, oil will sizzle. Stir gently to combine. Pour the hot oil and soy sauce mixture over the fish and pea shoots. Serve immediately with steamed rice.