Roasted Fish and Broccolini With Tamarind and Black Pepper

By Yewande Komolafe

Updated March 12, 2024

Roasted Fish and Broccolini With Tamarind and Black Pepper
Kelly Marshall for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Roscoe Betsill. Prop Stylist: Paige Hicks.
Total Time
35 minutes, plus marinating
Prep Time
20 minutes
Cook Time
15 minutes
Rating
4(500)
Notes
Read community notes

A single skillet is all you need for this delicious, convenient and comforting weeknight meal. With its caramel-like tang and pleasant pucker, tamarind enlivens the marinade for fish fillets in this simple baked fish recipe. Rich with coconut milk and infused with garlic, ginger and freshly ground black pepper, the quick marinade glazes the fish and bathes the vegetables. Broccolini is used here, but cauliflower, brussels sprouts or hearty leafy greens such as chard, turnip or beet greens can be substituted. This sauce is versatile and pairs well with most fish, so go with the fillets that look freshest at the market. 

  • or to save this recipe.

  • Subscriber benefit: give recipes to anyone
    As a subscriber, you have 10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers. Learn more.
    Subscribe

  • Print Options

Advertisement

Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 4fish fillets (6 ounces each), such as snapper, haddock, cod, striped bass, fluke, sablefish or salmon, skin on or off
  • Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) and black pepper
  • ¼cup store-bought tamarind purée or 1 tablespoon tamarind paste (See Tip)
  • 1tablespoon molasses
  • 1-inch piece fresh ginger, scrubbed and finely grated
  • 2garlic cloves, finely grated
  • ½cup unsweetened coconut cream or coconut milk
  • 3tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling
  • 1bunch scallions, trimmed
  • 1pound broccolini (2 to 3 bunches), cut into 3-inch pieces
  • ¼cup chopped cilantro
  • Steamed grains, such as rice or fonio, for serving
  • 1lime, sliced into wedges, for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

429 calories; 23 grams fat; 11 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 8 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 42 grams carbohydrates; 13 grams dietary fiber; 14 grams sugars; 24 grams protein; 1256 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 by

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Season both sides of the fish lightly with salt and black pepper. In a large bowl, combine the tamarind purée, molasses, ginger, garlic, coconut cream, 1 tablespoon olive oil, ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Thinly slice 2 scallions and add to the marinade. Cut the remaining scallions into 1-inch pieces and set aside. Add the fish to the marinade and turn to coat. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes and up to 12 hours.

  2. Step 2

    Heat the oven to 450 degrees. In a large (12-inch) oven-safe skillet, combine the broccolini and chopped scallions. Toss with 1 tablespoon oil and season lightly with salt and black pepper. Spread in an even layer, then place the fish right on top of the vegetables and pour any leftover marinade over the fish.

  3. Step 3

    Roast until the fish is opaque but the center is not cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes, depending on thickness of the fish. The fish should not flake easily with a fork. Remove the pan from the oven and heat the broiler to high. Drizzle the remaining tablespoon of oil over the fish.

  4. Step 4

    Move the pan to the broiler and finish cooking, rotating the pan once, until the fish is tender and flakes easily and the broccolini is just tender and beginning to brown in spots, 6 to 7 minutes. Remove the pan from the broiler and sprinkle the fish with chopped cilantro.

  5. Step 5

    Serve the fish and broccolini over steamed grains, such as rice or fonio. Tip the pan juices over the fish and serve with lime wedges for squeezing.

Tip
  • Tamarind can be purchased as a purée or paste and varies in degrees of concentration. Taste store-bought tamarind before use to determine how acidic it is and how much to use in the marinade. Tamarind pods or pulp can also be purchased to make the purée at home. Follow this recipe to make your own. All options are available online or at African, Caribbean or Asian grocery stores.

Ratings

4 out of 5
500 user ratings
Your rating

or to rate this recipe.

Have you cooked this?

or to mark this recipe as cooked.

Private Notes

Leave a Private Note on this recipe and see it here.

Cooking Notes

patty

anyone have a recommended brand of tamarind paste to use here?

matt

This was delicious. I used snapper and roasted the broccolini for 10 min before adding the fish. It came out perfect. I also added chopped peanuts as a garnish. Did not need the cilantro. I did wonder about the quantity of tamarind. I had concentrate, so I used 1 Tbsp. Could have used a bit more. This is a keeper.

Sam

The "Tip" says "follow this recipe" to make one's own tamarind paste, but no recipe is linked to.

DawnCam

, a few viable substitutes for coconut cream can be used in many recipes. What is this? These substitutes include heavy whipping cream, evaporated milk, canned coconut milk, and Greek yogurt. If you need a non-dairy option, almond milk can also work as a substitute. https://americasrestaurant.com › coc... The 5 Best Substitutes For Coconut Cream | Americas Restaurant

Cara

I made this as written and it was delicious. I used one tablespoon of Thai Taste tamarind paste but that may only be a UK brand. The one change I’d make next time is roasting the broccolini by itself for maybe 10 minutes before adding the fish - it was cooked less than I would have liked by the time the fish was done.

Sam

This was very delicious. I had sting beans, which I roasted for 20 minutes before adding the fish on top, and roasted for another 15. Yummy

Larry Skendzel

Salmon. Very good. 450 for 22 minutes then 4 minutes broil

Hilary

I always buy Tamicon tamarind paste which I buy at Indian or Asian markets.

SurfTsunami

This was outstanding; truly one of my all time favorites from the NYT. I used 1.88 lbs of thick sea bass and it was perfectly cooked with 25 mins marinade, 10 mins at 450 and 5 mins broil. Also drizzled coconut cream over everything before baking, broiling, and serving. IMO you need a thicker fish (and more fish than the recipe calls for) given the intensity of the sauce. Also, rice is a must. I made adobo rice with corn and the smokiness really helped to offset (and nicely absorb) the sauce.

Stephen D

Patty, I recommend buying a block of pulp and making the purée yourself, albeit that this involves straining out the seeds. The problem with all the pastes I’ve tried is that they’re extremely salty, so if you do choose one, taste carefully before adding any salt to the dish.

Pollencounter

Sam, here is the link: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1021264-tamarind-paste

Dave

I roasted the broccolini for 10 minutes before adding the fish (following matt's tip), and it got overdone. I think it's a good idea, but perhaps don't do it on 450 like I did!

Ann S

Delicious! Even my husband, who doesn't like fish, liked this dish!

Ann Madigan

I made this exactly per the recipe and the broccolini was crunchy. It definitely needs to be precooked before adding the fish.

Nancy

I didn’t have Tahini so I use peanut butter and every one loved it. I also didn’t have cilantro.

Greta

SO GOOD! I used the rest of the coconut milk to make the rice

Adam

This meal is both beautiful and delicious. Some substitutions that I make: soy sauce in the marinade instead of salt for more of an umami flavor and red curry paste instead of tamarind.

Ray

Absolutely love this recipe. I did bump up the amount of tamarind a bit (probably by half) and I think I'd go for double next time. I marinated the cod for ~20 min, but will definitely increase the time in the future. My husband (who is not the biggest fan of fish in general) had a third helping and kept saying how amazing it was.

Vince M

Combined this with this nyt farro recipe. Perfect companion. https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1013008-farro-with-mushrooms?smid=ck-recipe-android-share

Mike N

Made this with 1” thick cod filets. Couldn’t find broccolini so I used bok choy. Cooked it as per Surftsuami’s recommendation, 10 mins at 450, 5 mins under the broiler. Fish was perfectly cooked. Wonderful recipe, the sauce was exceptional!

Anna

Any suggestions for alternatives to molasses? Would maple syrup or honey be too sweet?

Steve

Delicious. Doubled the recipe and used a heavy duty sheet pan which worked perfectly. Could not find broccolini in Georgia so used Chinese broccoli which worked out well. Definitely a keeper.

Laurel

I used Trader Joe’s Tamarind Sauce with haddock, roasted the broccoli first for 20 minutes. It was extremely delicious, partly because I used the same proportions of sauce for a pound of fish, so I’d say double the sauce in any case. Used coconut cream which is pretty rich, going to try coconut milk next time.

Ferguson

When I finished with the broiling the fish was still not up to a safe temperature so I went back to roasting. Next time I would roast the fish longer before switching to the broiler. Very thin fillets might have been fine. I cut the broccolini stems in half to speed up the cooking,

FrancesNapa

I prepared this as directed using fresh cod though I did use broccoli instead of broccolini. We all thought it was OK, but not outstanding. I am not sure if I would make this again.

Nana

The recipe is silent as to whether to raise the oven rack close to the broiler. 6-7 minutes seems like a long time to broil close up. Did you folks broil with the fish at a mid-level rack or close (4"-5") to broiler heat?

Private notes are only visible to you.

Recipe Tags

Advertisement

or to save this recipe.

More From Our Best Fish Recipes

Trending on Cooking

Cooking Guides