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Ranch to Table Black Cod

White Fish with Dill Sauce and Saffron Rice

byElizabeth Poett
Total 1 hour and 10 minutes
Active 35 mins
Makes 6 servings
I love to cook with fish—especially after Austin goes fishing—and I developed this recipe because I was looking for something that would be rich tasting but also really simple to make. For this recipe, I make a sauce out of white wine, cream, and fresh dill, then just slip the fillets into the pan and put the whole thing in the oven until the fish is tender and infused with the bright, creamy sauce. I like to serve it with saffron rice, which has a flavor that reminds me of food that I enjoyed when I studied in Spain as a student. Put the kettle to a boil while preheating the oven and the rice and fish will be ready about the same time.
Ingredients
Fish
  • 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
  • 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped and smashed with the side of a knife
  • 2 leeks, sliced crosswise into thin rounds (about 2 1/2 cups)
  • 1/4 cup white wine
  • 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
  • 1 cup fresh dill, roughly chopped
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 6 fillets white fish (5 to 6 ounces each), such as cod
  • 2 lemons, 1 juiced (1/4 cup) and 1 sliced crosswise
Saffron Rice
  • 2 pinches saffron threads
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)
  • 1 cup basmati rice
  • 2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
Directions
  1. For the fish: Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  2. In a large, oven-safe skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and leeks and cook, stirring frequently, until they’re just starting to turn golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the wine to the pan and cook until the liquid is just lightly reduced, 2 to 3 minutes.
  3. Add the cream to the pan and cook, stirring, until warm, about 5 minutes. Add the dill and salt, turn down the heat a bit to medium-low, and cook, stirring, until the sauce begins to bubble, 2 to 4 minutes. Add the lemon juice and stir to combine. Add the fish fillets to the pan and use tongs to flip them once or twice, so that they are completely covered in the sauce. Top with the lemon slices.
  4. Bake the fish until it’s tender, 25 to 30 minutes. To test the fish, poke a fork into one fillet and twist; the fish should flake relatively easily.
  5. For the saffron rice: Meanwhile, put a kettle of water on to boil. Put 1 pinch of the saffron in a mortar and crush it into powder with a pestle. Add 1/4 cup of boiling water to the crushed saffron, then add the remaining 1 pinch of saffron threads.
  6. Heat the olive oil in a medium pan over medium-low heat, then add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is golden, about 5 minutes.
  7. While the onion is cooking, wash the rice in a strainer until the water running through is no longer milky white.
  8. Add the rice to the pot, stir everything together, and then add the saffron-infused water. Stir everything well, add the broth and the salt, and bring the liquid up to a simmer. Lower the heat as much as possible, cover the pot, and simmer until all of the liquid has been absorbed into the rice, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Uncover and fluff with a fork. Serve the rice with the fish.

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