Lingcod is often misunderstood. Although it is frequently the star of fish and chips, alongside cod, lingcod is not actually cod. It's the largest member of the Greenling family of fish, which are known for their long and spiny fins, strong jaws and teeth. Google lingcod images and, depending on your perspective, you might see something either terrifying or magnificent. Its reputation for being an ugly fish isn’t helped by its Latin name Ophidon elongatus, which translates roughly to long-toothed snake. Whoever was handing out those names may have had a point. While males can weigh in at four to 12 pounds, fully grown females can reach five feet long and up to 80 pounds and they sport some fairly serious fangs.
But resist the negative judgement. These are a prized catch among B.C. fishers who harvest them in rocky reefs all along the coast. High in Omega 3s, the raw fillets can have a blue-green tinge that is almost iridescent. The firm flesh cooks up pearly white and flaky with a mild taste that makes it a great vehicle for stronger flavours such as this curry.
If you are afraid to cook fish, as many of us are, please don’t let this recipe frighten you. Gently simmering the fish involves less risk than some other methods. It gives you more time to watch and learn with less chance of overcooking. When the flesh turns from translucent to bright white and flakes easily with a fork, it’s ready. In terms of flavour, balance is the key — the acid of the vinegar and lime juice adds brightness to the heat of the curry and balances the richness of the coconut milk. If you don’t have bok choy, substitute rapini or broccolini.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons oil, such as grapeseed or sunflower
- 1 medium-sized onion, thinly sliced lengthwise
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 2-inch piece ginger, thinly sliced and cut into matchsticks
- 2 tablespoons red curry paste
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1 14-ounce can light coconut milk
- 1/2 teaspoon fish sauce
- 1/2 jalapeño pepper, thinly sliced crosswise
- 4 pieces lingcod, about 6 ounces each, cleaned and scaled
- 2 heads bok choy, cleaned and cut into quarters
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- Cilantro and limes for finishing
Preparation
In a sauté pan over medium-low heat, add the oil, onions, garlic and ginger and cook until soft and translucent, being careful not to burn the garlic. Once the onions are tender, add the red curry paste and fry for approximately one minute before adding the rice wine vinegar. Scrape up anything stuck to the bottom of the pan. Turn the heat up to medium, adding the coconut milk, lime juice, fish sauce and jalapeño pepper and bring to a simmer for about 3 minutes.
Season the fish with salt and then add it to the pan, skin side down and cook for about 7 to 8 minutes until the flesh flakes with a fork.
While the fish is simmering, heat a pan with the sesame oil over medium heat. Add the bok choy. Once the bok choy begins to change colour, turn the pieces over, add a spoonful or two of water and cover with a lid. Cook the bok choy with the lid on for another another minute or until it has softened, but is still bright green.
Remove a piece of fish from the pan and place in a shallow bowl. Gently remove and discard the skin from the fish. Add two quarters of bok choy to the plate and ladle broth over. Serve with chopped cilantro and fresh lime quarters.
