Smoked Black Cod Pate

Sablefish has been swimming these cold Pacific waters for millennia. The Makah and other coastal tribes smoke-dried it over alder long before European ships appeared on the horizon. Japanese immigrants recognized its resemblance to their prized gindara and taught us to appreciate its unctuous flesh. Scandinavian fishermen brought their own smoking traditions. This pate honors all three.

Black cod is a misnomer. It's not cod at all, but sablefish, and it possesses a fat content that makes Atlantic varieties weep with envy. When properly smoked, that fat transforms into something approaching velvet. The flesh flakes apart at a stern glance, carrying wood-smoke and sea-brine in equal measure.

This is not a recipe that requires culinary heroics. The fish does the work. Your job is to respect it: quality ingredients, a light hand with seasoning, and the restraint to let the smoke speak. I've served this pate to everyone from commercial fishermen in Astoria to guests at formal dinner parties. Both groups cleaned the bowl.

Seek out a fishmonger who can tell you where your sablefish was caught. Alaska's longline fisheries remain among the most sustainable on earth. Ask questions. The best fish comes with a story.