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    Home / Dinner / Smoked Black Cod

    Smoked Black Cod

    Smoked black cod recipe: buttery Pacific sablefish cured in a sweet-savoury brine and smoked low and slow over alder until silky — a BC smoking tradition.

    ⏱ 15 minPrep time
    🔥 30 minCook time
    🍽 4Servings
    🏷 DinnerCategory
    ☆☆☆☆☆No ratings yet
    Smoked Black Cod - buttery alder-smoked black cod with golden glistening surface

    Black cod — also known as sablefish — is the richest fish in the Pacific, with a high fat content that makes it almost buttery on the tongue. First Nations peoples of the coast prized it for its oil and its keeping qualities, and smokehouses have been curing it over alder fires for generations, a technique that BC commercial smokers still use today.

    What makes it great is that marriage of sweet brine and clean wood smoke: the fish takes on a golden, glistening surface while the interior stays tender and succulent, flaking into large, moist pieces. Smoked black cod is wonderful on its own with a squeeze of lemon, flaked into chowder, or served warm on a bagel. It’s a taste of the old coast, and it never gets old.

    West Coast / BC recipes →

    Step by stepInstructions

    1. Dissolve the brown sugar and salt in the warm water, then stir in the soy sauce and peppercorns to make the brine.
    2. Submerge the black cod fillets in the brine, cover, and refrigerate for 8 to 12 hours.
    3. Remove the fillets from the brine, rinse them, and pat dry with paper towels.
    4. Place the fillets on a wire rack and refrigerate uncovered for 2 hours so a pellicle forms on the surface.
    5. Smoke the fish over alder at 175 to 200°F for 2 to 3 hours, brushing with maple syrup halfway through, until the fish is opaque and flakes gently.
    6. Cool slightly, then serve warm or chilled, flaking into large pieces.

    💡 Chef tips & storage

    The air-drying step is what gives smoked fish its glossy, smoky crust — don't skip it. Watch the temperature closely; black cod is so rich it can go from silky to dry quickly if smoked too hot.

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    Recipe details

    Prep15 min
    Cook30 min
    Servings4
    CategoryDinner
    PublishedAugust 17, 2026
    Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes

    Hi, I'm Emily 🧡

    Hi, I'm Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes. Simple, tested comfort food for real weeknights, written down the way grandma would. Pull up a chair. More about me →

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