Black Cod with Tomato-Braised Romano Beans and Dashi-Roasted Kabocha

Tomato-Braised Romano Beans

Romano beans become supple and flavorful with a proper braise rather than a quick blanch. Reducing the tomato sauce before adding the beans keeps the finished dish concentrated rather than watery.

Ingredients

• 1½ lb Romano beans, stem ends trimmed; left long or halved crosswise
• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 1 stalk celery, finely diced
• 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 14-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes with their juices, crushed by hand
• ½ cup water, plus more as needed
• 1–2 tsp red wine vinegar, to taste
• 3 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley, divided
• ¾ tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
• ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Heat the olive oil in a wide, deep sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, and salt; cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft but not browned.
2. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and their juices, breaking up any large pieces. Simmer uncovered for 8–10 minutes, until the sauce thickens and the oil begins to glisten around its edges.
3. Fold in the Romano beans, water, and pepper. Cover and maintain a gentle simmer for 25–35 minutes, turning the beans occasionally, until tender throughout with no raw squeak. Add water a few tablespoons at a time if the pan begins to dry.
4. Uncover and reduce any excess liquid until the sauce loosely coats the beans. Stir in 1 teaspoon vinegar and 2 tablespoons parsley; taste and adjust the salt and acidity.
5. Reserve about ½ cup of the chunky sauce for spooning over the fish. Keep the beans and remaining sauce in the pan for the black cod.

Notes

• The beans should be tender and olive-green, not crisp and bright green; that softer texture is the point of this braise.
• Good late-season fresh tomatoes can replace the canned tomatoes by weight. Allow extra reduction time if they are very juicy.

Gently Poached Black Cod

Gentle covered cooking preserves black cod’s buttery flakes without needing a crust. Cooking it over the beans lets its juices enrich the tomato sauce.

Ingredients

• 1½ lb black cod (sablefish), pin bones removed, cut into 4 portions
• ½ tsp kosher salt
• ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2–4 tbsp water, as needed
• prepared tomato-braised Romano beans and reserved sauce

Instructions

1. Pat the fish dry and season with salt and pepper. Let stand for 10 minutes while the beans finish cooking.
2. Bring the finished beans to a very gentle simmer. If the sauce is thick enough to catch on the bottom, add 2–4 tablespoons water.
3. Nestle the fish over the beans, skin-side down if skin-on. Cover tightly and cook over low heat for 10–15 minutes, depending on thickness; avoid a vigorous boil.
4. Check the thickest portion with an instant-read thermometer and cook to 145°F. The flesh should be opaque and separate into moist, broad flakes.
5. Lift the fish out carefully with a wide spatula. Leave portions intact or separate into a few large flakes for serving, discarding the soft skin if desired. Spoon the reserved tomato sauce over the fish.

Notes

• Black cod is delicate once cooked. Move it as little as possible, and check thinner portions before thicker ones.

Roasted Kabocha with Dashi RDX Butter

Roasting concentrates kabocha’s sweetness and browns its cut surfaces. A restrained dashi-butter finish adds savory depth without masking the squash.

Ingredients

• 1 small, about 2 lb kabocha squash, scrubbed, seeded, and cut into 8 wedges
• 1½ tbsp olive oil
• ¼ tsp kosher salt, plus more if needed
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
• 1 tsp Noma Projects Dashi RDX, plus more to taste

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 425°F. Toss the squash wedges with olive oil and salt, then arrange on a rimmed baking sheet with a broad cut face down.
2. Roast for 20 minutes. Turn onto the other cut face and roast for another 10–20 minutes, until browned at the edges and a knife slides easily through the thickest flesh.
3. Mash the softened butter with the Dashi RDX. Taste a little on a piece of cooked squash before adding more concentrate or salt.
4. Transfer the hot squash to plates and divide the dashi butter among the wedges, letting it melt into the flesh.

Notes

• Dashi RDX is concentrated; use less initially if your bottle’s serving guidance recommends it, then adjust to taste.
• The kabocha skin is edible when tender, but diners can leave it behind if it remains firm.

Overall Timing / Workflow

The beans and squash take about the same time, while the fish cooks only at the end. This keeps the fish moist and brings everything to the table hot.

Instructions

1. 0:00 — Heat the oven, cut the squash, and prep the bean-braise vegetables.
2. 0:15 — Put the squash in the oven and start softening the onion and celery.
3. 0:25 — Add the garlic and tomatoes. Mix the dashi butter while the sauce reduces.
4. 0:35 — Add the beans and water, cover, and braise. Turn the squash and check it for tenderness.
5. 0:50 — Remove the squash when tender; hold loosely covered. Portion and season the fish.
6. 1:00 — Once the beans are tender, adjust the sauce and reserve some for finishing. Nestle in the fish and cover.
7. 1:10–1:15 — Check fish doneness, briefly warm the squash in the oven if necessary, and plate immediately.

Notes

• Bean maturity and squash thickness can shift the schedule. Wait until the beans are fully tender before adding the fish.

Plating

A bed of long beans supports the delicate fish, while keeping the squash alongside preserves its browned surfaces.

Instructions

1. Divide the Romano beans and their sauce among four warm plates, arranging the beans into a loose bed.
2. Set a portion of black cod on each bed and spoon the reserved chunky tomato sauce over the center.
3. Place two kabocha wedges alongside each portion and finish with the dashi butter.
4. Scatter the remaining tablespoon of parsley over the fish and beans.

Leftover Path

The beans improve as they sit, but the fish needs gentle reheating. Storing the squash separately protects it from becoming waterlogged.

Instructions

1. Refrigerate leftovers in shallow airtight containers within 2 hours. Store the squash separately and use the fish within 2 days; the beans and squash keep for 3–4 days.
2. Reheat the beans with a splash of water in a covered pan. Add the fish near the end and warm gently, covered, until leftovers reach 165°F; avoid boiling.
3. Reheat the squash in a 375°F oven until hot, about 10–15 minutes.
4. For a different next-day meal, loosen the beans with broth into a tomato-bean soup and add flaked fish only at the end.