Braised Bok Choy
Recently, I tried the somewhat viral Trader Joe’s Miso Marinated Black Cod Sablefish and it was delicious! I had seen people on Instagram comparing this new TJ’s freezer item to the Black Cod Miso made famous decades ago by New York City’s Nobu. I have both enjoyed the dish at Nobu and successfully made it at home (sourcing the sablefish was the most difficult part), so I was skeptical that a frozen version could compete.
There were three cooking methods, and I chose the air fryer method. Instead of cooking for the recommended 15 minutes, I checked the temperature at 10 minutes and determined it was done. The fish was rich, flavorful, and easily flaked with a fork. My only regret was not buying more than the one 10-oz package — largely because Gary and I could each have eaten a whole package on our own. So next time I will make two packages for the two of us, and maybe there will be a bite left over for lunch.
To go with the Miso Marinated Black Cod Sablefish, I picked up a bunch of baby bok choy. For as long as I can remember, braising has been my go-to method for cooking baby bok choy (and I have the handwritten recipe card with no source to prove it). You simmer some butter and chicken broth in a large saute pan, add the bok choy, cover and cook until done to your liking. After removing the bok choy from the pan, you reduce the braising liquid by more than half, add a touch of sesame oil and black pepper before pouring the liquid over the vegetable. The preparation would work the same for regular (or fully grown) bok choy, with the only adjustment being that I would roughly slice it rather than braise it whole.
Braised Bok Choy was a perfect accompaniment to the Miso Marinated Black Cod Sablefish and rice, as the braising liquid tied the two elements together in a shallow bowl. I wholeheartedly recommend this pairing. So go ahead, and get yourself to Trader Joe’s to pick up this item while it lasts, and let me know if you think that it’s as big a hit as I do. Enjoy!
Braised Bok Choy
Ingredients
- 2 c chicken broth or vegetable broth
- 6 Tbls unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 lbs baby bok choy
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring broth and butter to simmer in a deep large skillet.
- Arrange whole bok choy evenly in skillet and simmer, covered, til tender, approximately 5 minutes. I like to flip the bok choy in the pan after 5 minutes, cover and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
- Transfer bok choy to serving dish and keep covered. Meanwhile, bring the broth mixture to boil and cook until reduced to approximate 1/2 cup.
- Stir in sesame oil and black pepper. Pour over the bok choy and serve.