Crab-Butter-Basted Black Cod with Chanterelle Miso Snow Peas and Fried Japanese Sweet Potatoes

Crab-Infused Butter

A gentle infusion draws sweet shellfish flavor into butter without reducing a stock or adding a heavy sauce. Keeping the heat low prevents the milk solids and shells from scorching.

Ingredients

• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 cup clean, lightly crushed cooked Dungeness crab shells, without gills or innards
• 1 tablespoon water

Instructions

1. Combine the butter, crab shells, and water in a small saucepan over low heat.
2. Heat gently for 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the butter smells sweetly of crab. Allow only a faint simmer; do not brown the butter.
3. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a heatproof bowl, pressing lightly on the shells. Discard the shells. Expect about 6 tablespoons of infused butter.
4. Keep warm over very low heat if using immediately, or refrigerate promptly.

Notes

• Use shells from freshly cooked crab or shells frozen promptly after picking. Avoid heavily seasoned shells, which can overwhelm the fish.
• Prepared crab-infused butter can be used instead; taste it before adding salt to the fish.

Crab-Butter-Basted Black Cod

Black cod's rich flesh stays succulent through a gentle pan finish. Searing first and adding the flavored butter at lower heat gives light browning without burning the crab infusion.

Ingredients

• 4 fillets black cod (sablefish), 5–6 ounces each, pin bones removed
• 1 tablespoon ghee
• 6 tablespoons crab-infused butter, from the sauce component
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, or less if the crab butter is salted
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Pat the fish thoroughly dry and season with salt and pepper just before cooking.
2. Heat the ghee in a large nonstick or well-seasoned skillet over medium-high heat. Place the fish skin-side down, if skin-on, or presentation-side down if skinless. Cook undisturbed for 3–4 minutes, until lightly golden and able to release with a thin spatula.
3. Turn carefully and lower the heat to medium-low. Add 4 tablespoons of crab-infused butter. Tilt the pan and repeatedly spoon the butter over the fish for 4–7 minutes, keeping the butter gently foaming rather than darkening.
4. Cook until the thickest part reaches 145°F and the flesh separates into moist, broad flakes. For especially thick portions, cover loosely for a minute or two rather than increasing the heat.
5. Transfer the fish to warm plates. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the remaining crab butter and lemon juice. Spoon a little of the warm pan butter over each portion.

Notes

• Cook in two pans or batches if necessary; crowded fillets steam and are harder to turn intact.
• Black cod is delicate. Use a broad fish spatula and turn only once.

Snow Peas with Chanterelle Miso Butter

Brief steaming keeps the snow peas vivid and crisp-tender. Miso butter coats them in a thin savory glaze, with a little vinegar keeping the finish bright.

Ingredients

• 1 pound snow peas, stems and tough strings removed
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1 tablespoon gluten-free Shared Cultures chanterelle miso
• 2 tablespoons water, plus more as needed
• 1 teaspoon unseasoned rice vinegar

Instructions

1. Mash the softened butter and chanterelle miso together until evenly combined.
2. Bring the water to a brisk simmer in a wide skillet. Add the snow peas, cover, and steam for 1–2 minutes, until bright green but still crisp.
3. Uncover and let any excess water evaporate, leaving about a teaspoon in the pan. Reduce the heat to low.
4. Add the miso butter and toss for 30–60 seconds, until the peas are glossy and crisp-tender. Add a splash of water if the coating looks greasy or too thick.
5. Remove from the heat and toss with the rice vinegar. Taste before adding any salt; the miso may provide enough.

Notes

• Check that the specific chanterelle miso is gluten-free; fermentation alone does not establish this.
• Serve immediately rather than holding warm, which dulls the color and softens the pods.

Fried Japanese Sweet Potato Wedges

Precooking gives the dense sweet potatoes creamy centers before frying. Dry surfaces and uncrowded batches create the deeply caramelized faces shown on the plate.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds Japanese sweet potatoes, scrubbed, skin left on
• 1/3 cup avocado oil, for shallow-frying
• 3/4 teaspoon flaky sea salt, or to taste

Instructions

1. Cut the sweet potatoes lengthwise into thick wedges, about 3/4–1 inch at their widest point.
2. Arrange in a steamer basket over simmering water. Cover and steam for 10–15 minutes, until a thin knife enters with slight resistance and the wedges still hold their shape.
3. Spread on a rack or tray and let steam-dry for at least 10 minutes. Blot away visible moisture before frying.
4. Heat the avocado oil in a wide heavy skillet over medium to medium-high heat until shimmering, approximately 350°F.
5. Fry the wedges in batches, resting them on their broad cut faces, for 3–5 minutes per face. Adjust the heat as needed so they turn deep golden brown without blackening.
6. Transfer to a wire rack and season immediately with flaky salt. The centers should be fully tender and the edges lightly crisp.

Notes

• Japanese sweet potato flesh can range from pale cream to yellow; judge doneness by tenderness rather than color.
• Hold finished wedges on a rack in a 225°F oven for up to 20 minutes while the fish cooks.

Overall Timing / Workflow

The butter infusion and potato precooking can happen together. Finishing the fish and peas last keeps both delicate components at their best.

Instructions

1. 0:00 — Start the crab-butter infusion and bring the potato steamer to a simmer. Cut and steam the sweet potato wedges.
2. 0:15 — Spread the potatoes out to dry. Trim the snow peas, mix the miso butter, and dry and portion the fish.
3. 0:25 — Strain the crab butter and begin frying the potatoes in batches.
4. 0:35 — Hold browned potatoes on a rack in a 225°F oven. Begin cooking the black cod.
5. 0:42 — While the fish finishes basting, steam and glaze the snow peas in a separate skillet.
6. 0:48 — Finish the fish with lemon and crab butter, check seasoning, and plate immediately.

Notes

• Allow extra time if your skillet requires more than two batches of potatoes.

Plating

Keeping the components in distinct groups preserves the potatoes' crisp edges and lets the glossy peas and broad flakes of fish stand out.

Instructions

1. Arrange three or four sweet potato wedges in a loose fan on one side of each warm plate.
2. Place the black cod alongside, with its lightly browned surface facing up.
3. Mound the snow peas beside the fish, allowing only a little overlap.
4. Spoon the crab pan butter over the fish rather than over the potatoes. Serve immediately.

Leftover Path

Separate storage and gentle reheating protect the fish from drying out while allowing the potatoes to regain their browned edges.

Instructions

1. Refrigerate the fish, peas, and potatoes separately in covered containers within 2 hours. Use the fish within 2 days and the vegetables within 3 days.
2. Reheat potatoes on a rack in a 400°F oven for 10–15 minutes, until hot and crisp at the edges.
3. Warm fish covered in a 275°F oven with a spoonful of water and its reserved butter until heated through; for leftover food safety, bring the center to 165°F.
4. Warm the peas briefly in a skillet with a splash of water, or serve them chilled. Expect a softer texture after reheating.
5. For another meal, gently flake the cold fish over a simple green salad and serve the reheated sweet potato wedges alongside.