When deciding which species of white fish to cook, sometimes I like to think of each one as having a distinct personality. Pacific cod is the ever-reliable workhorse of the bunch. Pacific halibut is the Alaskan Idol, the one that gets all the adoration. And rockfish? This species, overlooked and misunderstood, is the unassuming maximalist of the three.
Believe it or not, rockfish is the most flavor-forward white fish that we offer, setting it apart from milder Pacific cod and halibut. A quality that makes it the ideal white fish to use with bolder preparations and flavors. A humble pan-seared fillet of rockfish, dressed with a vibrant sauce, is exquisite enough to rival any Pacific halibut meal you’ve enjoyed. Our recipe for Pan-Fried Rockfish, for instance, is topped with a punchy caper-anchovy sauce that might overpower milder fillets — but paired with rockfish, it’s balanced and elegant.
Another one of rockfish’s unique qualities is its thinner profile, with fillets that lay long and flat in the pan. That means there’s plenty of surface area for maxxed out seasoning, breading, and crisping. A pan-sear can be enough to crisp up the fillet, but you could also try breading them a la this recipe for Rockfish Milanese. Owing to its thinness, the rockfish cooks quickly, but leaves the breadcrumbs just enough time to turn perfectly crispy and golden. All you need from there is a wedge of lemon and bowl of arugula for a fresh summer lunch.
Of course, you could combine bold flavor and texture in your approach to cooking rockfish by making Crispy Baked Rockfish with Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto. Baked beneath breadcrumbs and a savory layer of store-bought pesto — amplified with fresh summer basil as well as a few other additions — you get the culinary fireworks of both crunch and flavor in this easy meal.
Speaking of fireworks, I just have to interject on this newsletter’s ode to rockfish with a quick plug for our exclusive member special running right now for a pack of Snap-and-Eat Dungeness Crab, because I think it’s perfect for cooking out beneath the sounds and lights of summer. Dungies are one of my go-tos for nights when I want to keep things relaxed, because they’re heat-and-eat, straight from the freezer. But they’re also amazing for cookouts, because they’re just deliciously messy and look delectable piled up on a big platter to share with friends. If that sounds good to you, check into your Member Special page to reserve a pack of Dungies for your next box before they sell out!
I hope you have the opportunity to take the extra day to either chill out or cook out this 4th of July weekend, depending on what you’re in the mood for this time around.
Live Wild,
Monica
Pictured above: A pair of panko-crusted rockfish fillets, crusty and golden, needing little more than a wedge of lemon to punctuate their bold flavor with a bright pop of citrusy freshness.
