Grape Leaf Wrapped Black Cod with Grape Saba and Raisin Butter
When grapes form on my grape vines, I prune away the excess grape leaves. Inspired by the Greek Dolmades, this fish dish is wrapped in grape leaves. Use a jar of brined grape leaves if you don't have a grapevine. If using fresh leaves, blanch them briefly in boiling water. The ancient Greeks and Romans used grape must, the boiled-down syrup from grapes, as a sweetener. It is sometimes called moustos or mosto cotto or saba today and has a sweet complexity like a good balsamic, but still, plenty of acid to balance, like pomegranate molasses, which can be used in its place. The sweet raisins and lemon balance out the flavor of the buttery black cod wrapped like a special package in grape leaves.
4 servings
Use pomegranate molasses or grape saba (my homemade saba shown here).
INGREDIENTS:
½ cup butter, at room temperature
¼ cup golden raisins, chopped
2 tablespoons grape must or pomegranate molasses
4 teaspoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons lemon zest
2 teaspoons lemon thyme or thyme leaves, minced
½ teaspoon sea salt
4 (5-ounce) pieces of black cod
Sea salt and black pepper
8 medium-size grape leaves or 1 large grape leaf
4 lemon wedges
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
In a small mixing bowl, mash the butter with the raisins, grape must, lemon juice, lemon zest, thyme leaves, and salt until well blended. Set it aside.
Season each piece of black cod with salt and pepper. Spread one-fourth cup of the butter mixture on the top of each piece of black cod.
Overlap four grape leaves to create an eight-inch circle, shiny side down and stem sides of each leaf facing inward. Place a piece of black cod, buttered side down, in the circle's center. Fold the leaves up and over, completely enclosing the fish. Repeat with the remaining pieces of black cod.
Place the black cod packages butter side up on a sheet pan and bake in the upper part of the oven until the fish is just cooked through about six to eight minutes. Use the tip of a paring knife to check for doneness.
Spread any remaining butter on the top of each black cod package and serve with the lemon wedges.
Grape Leaf Wrapped Black Cod with Grape Saba and Raisin Butter
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter, at room temperature
- ¼ cup golden raisins, chopped
- 2 tablespoons grape must or pomegranate molasses
- 4 teaspoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 2 teaspoons lemon thyme or thyme leaves, minced
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 4 (5-ounce) pieces of black cod
- Sea salt and black pepper
- 8 medium-size grape leaves or 1 large grape leaf
- 4 lemon wedges
- DIRECTIONS:
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- In a small mixing bowl, mash the butter with the raisins, grape must, lemon juice, lemon zest, thyme leaves, and salt until well blended. Set it aside.
- Season each piece of black cod with salt and pepper. Spread one-fourth cup of the butter mixture on the top of each piece of black cod.
- Overlap four grape leaves to create an eight-inch circle, shiny side down and stem sides of each leaf facing inward. Place a piece of black cod, buttered side down, in the circle's center. Fold the leaves up and over, completely enclosing the fish. Repeat with the remaining pieces of black cod.
- Place the black cod packages butter side up on a sheet pan and bake in the upper part of the oven until the fish is just cooked through about six to eight minutes. Use the tip of a paring knife to check for doneness.
- Spread any remaining butter on the top of each black cod package and serve with the lemon wedges.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
264.89Fat (grams)
23.27 gSat. Fat (grams)
14.64 gCarbs (grams)
15.2 gFiber (grams)
1.79 gNet carbs
13.4 gSugar (grams)
9.88 gProtein (grams)
1.33 gSodium (milligrams)
526.81 mgCholesterol (grams)
61.48 mgThe information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist's advice.