Mushroom Crusted Sablefish with Shallot-Tarragon Sauce

Recipe developed by Natalie Janicka.

Yields 4 portions.

Ingredients:

Sablefish

4 sablefish portions, 6 oz each

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup panko

 ¾ cup dried mushroom mix

1 cup all purpose flour

2 eggs

1 cup milk

3 tablespoons mild olive oil

Shallot-Tarragon Sauce

1 ½ cups heavy cream

¾ cup fish stock or clam juice

¼ cup white wine

2 tablespoons mild olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

½ cup shallots, minced

2 tablespoons all purpose flour

2 tablespoons fresh tarragon, minced

Place the dried mushrooms into a food processor and pulse until most of the mushrooms have become slightly smaller than the panko pieces. Add mushroom “dust” to the panko, mix together and set aside. Place the flour on a large plate to allow for coating the fish. 

Whisk the eggs and milk together until combined. Salt the sablefish and set aside. Prepare your breading station in this order: flour, egg wash, and panko-mushroom mixture.  Coat the fish in flour, then dip in egg wash, and press firmly into panko-mushroom mixture.

Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot add oil, then add the crusted sablefish portions. Cook until golden to deep brown (about 5-7 minutes), then flip fish and lower heat to medium allowing fish to cook through, which should take an additional 5-6 minutes. Remove fish from the pan to a platter and keep warm in the oven while sauce is being made. 

Quickly wipe out the saute pan with a paper towel being sure not to burn yourself, then dispose of the paper towel. Heat the saucepan back to medium-high heat, add oil and butter until it starts to foam. Add minced shallots to the pan, stirring constantly. Once the shallots have started to soften and become opaque (about 4-6 minutes), deglaze with the white wine. Sprinkle the flour over the shallots/wine mixture.  Add the fish stock (or clam juice) and cream to the pan, stirring to blend the shallots and flour into the liquid. Turn heat down to medium and allow to simmer and reduce until the sauce coats the back of a spoon, roughly 5-6 minutes. Once sauce has reduced, add tarragon, stirring to incorporate the herb into the sauce. Taste the sauce to see if salt is needed. Remove the sablefish from the oven and serve with the Shallot - Tarragon Sauce.