Pan Seared Opah & Saffron
by Marjan
Frequently my friends ask me for recipes highlighting saffron. This popular spice is used in a majority of Persian recipes, some of which I have shared with our Savorychick followers: sholeh-zard, tahcheen, basmati rice and saffron baked salmon. Fish recipe requests are also in high demand as well; rather than share another salmon recipe, I want to introduce to you Hawaiian Opah! This meaty fish perfectly showcases the distinct essence of saffron.
Not as popular or rich in Omega-3 as salmon, opah has a light orange color and is similar to swordfish with it's meaty texture. Salmon has a very distinct flavor and therefore when combined with other ingredients, it tends to prominently dominate. Opah with it's subtle flavor, is a wonderful canvas to showcase a variety of ingredients. For this week's recipe, I have combined thyme, rosemary, garlic and saffron. Served on top of mashed potatoes, this unknown fish in my household has quickly become popular!
Seared to perfection, I hope you will give both opah and my recipe a try!
Serves 4
Ingredients
Four 6-8 oz. opah fillets
1/4 teaspoon crushed saffron
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 rosemary sprigs
2-3 cloves of garlic; slivered
2-3 sprigs of rosemary
Juice of one lemon
1/2 teaspoon each sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons organic butter
4 tablespoons olive oil
With a thick paper towel, pat dry fillet. In a small bowl, combine thyme, salt and pepper. Sprinkle salt mix over fish.
In a large frying pan, heat oil over medium heat. Once pan and oil become hot, carefully add fish and rosemary sprigs; sear fish for 2-3 minutes each side. Add butter to pan along with garlic. Using a large spoon, baste fish with melted butter (arroser). A couple minutes later, turn heat off, add lemon & saffron to pan and continue to baste a minute longer. Remove and toss rosemary sprigs; serve fish on a bed of mashed potatoes (or any vegetable of choice) and spoon butter and garlic sauce over fish.
Frequently my friends ask me for recipes highlighting saffron. This popular spice is used in a majority of Persian recipes, some of which I have shared with our Savorychick followers: sholeh-zard, tahcheen, basmati rice and saffron baked salmon. Fish recipe requests are also in high demand as well; rather than share another salmon recipe, I want to introduce to you Hawaiian Opah! This meaty fish perfectly showcases the distinct essence of saffron.
Not as popular or rich in Omega-3 as salmon, opah has a light orange color and is similar to swordfish with it's meaty texture. Salmon has a very distinct flavor and therefore when combined with other ingredients, it tends to prominently dominate. Opah with it's subtle flavor, is a wonderful canvas to showcase a variety of ingredients. For this week's recipe, I have combined thyme, rosemary, garlic and saffron. Served on top of mashed potatoes, this unknown fish in my household has quickly become popular!
Seared to perfection, I hope you will give both opah and my recipe a try!
Serves 4
Ingredients
Four 6-8 oz. opah fillets
1/4 teaspoon crushed saffron
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 rosemary sprigs
2-3 cloves of garlic; slivered
2-3 sprigs of rosemary
Juice of one lemon
1/2 teaspoon each sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons organic butter
4 tablespoons olive oil
With a thick paper towel, pat dry fillet. In a small bowl, combine thyme, salt and pepper. Sprinkle salt mix over fish.
In a large frying pan, heat oil over medium heat. Once pan and oil become hot, carefully add fish and rosemary sprigs; sear fish for 2-3 minutes each side. Add butter to pan along with garlic. Using a large spoon, baste fish with melted butter (arroser). A couple minutes later, turn heat off, add lemon & saffron to pan and continue to baste a minute longer. Remove and toss rosemary sprigs; serve fish on a bed of mashed potatoes (or any vegetable of choice) and spoon butter and garlic sauce over fish.
