Seared Fish With Creamed Kale and Leeks
- Total Time
- 45 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:4 servings
- 4(5- to 6-ounce) Arctic char or other mild fish fillets, such as salmon
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- 1½pounds curly kale
- 3tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1large leek (about ½ pound), trimmed, white and pale greens quartered lengthwise then thinly sliced
- 6large fresh thyme sprigs
- 3garlic cloves, minced
- 1cup heavy cream
- 1½teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1teaspoon chicken or vegetable stock concentrate, like Better Than Bouillion
- Cooked white rice or pearl couscous, warmed, for serving
- 2tablespoons olive oil
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
801 calories; 61 grams fat; 25 grams saturated fat; 1 gram trans fat; 19 grams monounsaturated fat; 9 grams polyunsaturated fat; 27 grams carbohydrates; 9 grams dietary fiber; 4 grams sugars; 41 grams protein; 1186 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered byPreparation
- Step 1
Prepare your fish: Pat the fish dry, then salt the skin side to help draw out moisture. Set on a plate and refrigerate, uncovered.
- Step 2
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high. Prepare your kale: Pull the leaves off the stems and tear leaves into bite-size pieces. Wash vigorously, drain, then set aside.
- Step 3
In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium. Add the leek, thyme and garlic, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring frequently, until soft, about 7 minutes.
- Step 4
Stir in the cream and bring to a boil over high. Continue to cook on high until thickened, about 5 minutes. Using a fine-mesh sieve set over a liquid measuring cup or small bowl, strain the sauce, pressing to extract as much liquid as possible. (You should have about ½ cup sauce.) Set aside the solids and return the sauce to the saucepan. Whisk in the mustard and stock concentrate, and season with salt and pepper. Cover and set aside.
- Step 5
Discard the thyme sprigs and stir the cooked leek mixture into cooked rice, if desired. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Step 6
Once the sauce is done, blanch the kale in the boiling water until just wilted, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a colander to drain and rinse under cold water. Once cool enough to handle, squeeze out the excess liquid. Add to the strained cream, then season with salt and pepper. Cover, and warm over low, stirring occasionally.
- Step 7
Cook the fish: Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Pat the fish dry a second time, then season the skin with pepper, and the flesh with salt and pepper. Add to the hot oil, skin-side down, and cook until the skin is crispy and golden, about 3 to 4 minutes. Carefully flip the fish and cook until the outside starts to turn golden, but the thickest part of the fish is still slightly translucent, about 3 minutes.
- Step 8
Divide the rice (if using), creamed kale and fish among plates and serve immediately.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Matt L- Toledo, OH
The flavors of this dish where very well paired. That leek cream sauce tied everything together. To cut down on dishes I started by blanching the kale in the same large skillet I made the sauce and seared the salmon. That creamed kale is going into the rotation.
meggeers
This was yummy! I made it with coconut cream and bit extra mustard and it was still good: even my husband that dislikes coconut liked it as the mustard hides it. Nice dairy free even! I didn’t have a buillion cube so let some stock boil down a bit while I was doing the other ingredients: will be a new go to
Joey Harmon
This is a great recipe. Very tasty! I followed another reviewer's advice (thanks, Brenda!) and skipped the blanching of the kale and the straining of the sauce and just cooked my kale directly in the cream with all of the leek and garlic goodness still in. Used 1/2 tsp dried thyme because we were out of fresh. It turned out great and much less mess, clean-up, and effort. This will be in heavy rotation in our house!
Brenda
Delicious and versatile, but overly complicated. Made twice now, with different greens each time. Blanching the kale and straining the leeks and thyme out of the cream are both unnecessary steps, just use remove the thyme leaves from stems, and toss the fresh greens directly into the hot cream and leek sauce to cook. Streamlining the recipe this way and cooking the protein simultaneously gets this on the table in 30 minutes.
wanda
Used spinach because I didn’t have Kale, Scallions-green onions because I didn’t have leeks. Didn’t strain sauce because I took leaves off of thyme sprigs and thinly sliced scallions.
Laura
Hopefully people making this know that leeks are usually sandy and need good washing even more than kale. It was delicious
Elizabeth
The kale and rice were great! I split the leek solids between the rice and kale, with most of the liquid going to the kale - would definitely make these sides again. The preparation of the fish was... remarkably boring. I used salmon, and thought that pretty much any other prep/recipe would have been better. Grilling, roasting (5 spice recipe, or brown sugar/mustard glaze), even pan frying in butter with another thyme spring would have been an improvement.
Marty F
Both over-thought and under-thought. If you like the ingredients, make your own choices about proportions and timing.
JC
My husband described this dinner as, "Super yummy!" The recipe halved perfectly. I followed the streamlined advice in the comments, worked great. I used the lobster based Better Than Bouillon - I really think it added additional depth to the flavors. I served it with warmed basmati brown rice on the side. Drying and salting the skin - finally, I achieved crispy skin!
Sara
I wasn't anticipating liking this as much as I did! Took some shortcuts to cut down on time -- followed the suggestion to skip the straining + mix the kale right into the cream sauce, then mixed the cooked rice in there as well. The Atlantic salmon I had was a much thicker cut, so I cooked it in my go-to Sohla El-Waylly way -- skin up in the oven for 12 mins @ 425, then the broiler for 6 mins. The crispy skin was perfect with the creamy greens + rice mixture.
Lisa F.
I made this exactly as written and my husband and I both thought it was delicious! Definitely will be making this one again!
Alexis Sogl
We made this with Hake, superb! Recommend cooking the couscous in chicken broth.
mona
I haven’t read any of the notes yet so I don’t know if others have said this - but this recipe says midweek meal. Luckily it’s Sunday. This recipe has used 4 different pans/skillets, 2 covers, multiple strainers and sieves. It’s delicious, the sauce in the kale is superb, I love using the leeks in the rice. But it took me forever. It better be good!
kerry
The flavors are so great! I skipped the fish and also didn't separate the cream from the leeks - just threw the blanched Kale in with them, and added cubed firm tofu at the end. Will be making on repeat!
SVinDC
Delicious!! Inane amount of dishes!! Took over an hour. I made with couscous. The leek cream sauce with the couscous was stellar. The kale and cream sauce was even better with the Dijon and chicken concentrate. I do recommend… I also warn you of the clean up.
Big Merc
This was great! Made almost as written. I used turnip greens instead of kale, and added a spoonful of Calabrian chile paste- my husband and I like a little kick. As several comments suggested, I didn't bother blanching the greens, but I did strain the leeks out of the cream sauce to mix with wild rice blend. Also had my husband grill the salmon to avoid the mild hassle of pan searing. Will definitely make again, and try different fish/greens/grain combos!
Megan
Used lacinto kale instead of curly, cooked right in the unstrained cream sauce as noted by others. Didn’t have leeks so used spring onions; didn’t have a bouillon cube so used a few splashes of coconut aminos. Used sockeye salmon for the fish. Very good & quick recipe, will make again!
snoya
I am entering the second hour of trying to cook this dish! I think it will be delish but be warned of the deceptive time estimate, other novice chefs
Jayne Ann
Why would one discard leeks and garlic? It's wasteful. More importantly, they feed the gut microbiome, not to mention enhance flavour and texture. Maybe in a haute cuisine setting but not in my kitchen.
Stephanie R-H
Loved it! I used icelandic cod instead of salmon/arctic char, and next time would maybe use halibut if it's available.
love!
Love love love this. Absolutely delicious. Agree with other notes to not bother blanching kale, simply add it with the cream and don’t bother with any straining!
Jennifer
Love this recipe. The saved leeks were great in the rice so its worth the extra step of staining them out of the cream sauce. I'm making it again this weekend for friends.
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