whitefish
Sablefish
Sablefish is a deep-water fish with white flesh and the fat content of an oily one, which makes it close to impossible to overcook. It flakes into thick, silky sheets. "Black cod" is a nineteenth-century market borrow — it belongs to a different family entirely. Broil it, or cure it in miso first.
In one line
Sold as black cod, isn't a cod, and carries more fat than most salmon.
Buy it if
You want the richest fish we sell, and a piece you can look away from for a minute without ruining.
Not a cod. Anoplopoma fimbria is its own family, caught thousands of feet down in the cold North Pacific. The "black cod" name came from the market rather than from biology, and it has outlived every attempt to correct it. In Japan it is gindara; older American menus call it butterfish.
The fat is the point. It is a white-fleshed fish carrying oil in the range of a fatty salmon, distributed through the muscle rather than sitting in a layer under the skin. It bastes itself. A minute long on the heat costs you almost nothing — the exact opposite of halibut.
Miso is the classic treatment for a reason. The preparation that made it famous is a multi-day marinade in sweet white miso, sake and mirin, then a hard broil. The sugars in the miso caramelize before the fish can dry out, because the fish cannot dry out.
Cook it hotter than a lean fish. Broil or sear to 135–140°F. Skin-on is worth it here: the fat renders through it and it crisps hard.
Where it comes from on the animal
| Species | whitefish |
|---|---|
| Subprimal | fillet and portion, skin-on |
What else it’s called
How to cook Sablefish
| Best methods | Broil Pan sear Oven roast Smoke Poach |
|---|---|
| Skip | Deep fry |
| Cook to | 135–140°F — hotter than you would take a lean fish. The flakes should slide apart in thick sheets. |
Sablefish vs Cod
Sablefish is sold as "black cod" and isn't a cod — the two are opposites in fat, price and how much they forgive.
| Sablefish | Cod | |
|---|---|---|
| Fat | Rich | Lean |
| Price tier | Premium | Mid |
| Cook to | 135–140°F | 130–135°F |
| Best method | Broil, Pan-sear or Oven-roast | Oven-roast, Poach or Deep-fry |
If Sablefish is sold out
Common questions
Is sablefish the same as cod?
No, and it isn't related. Sablefish has a fat content closer to king salmon than to cod, which is lean. Buying one expecting the other is the most common mistake with this fish — they cook nothing alike.
What else is sablefish called?
Black cod is the usual US market name. Butterfish appears on older menus, sable in smokehouses and delis, and gindara in Japanese restaurants. All four are the same fish.
How do you cook sablefish?
Broil it. The fat renders and browns the surface before the interior has any chance to dry, so a hot broiler or a hard sear gets you crisp skin and layered flesh. Take it to 135–140°F, warmer than you would a lean white fish.
Why is sablefish expensive?
It is a slow-growing deep-water fish caught under quota, and much of the catch has historically been bought by the Japanese market, which sets the price before it reaches a US counter.
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