Name: Air Fryer Rockfish with Golden Yogurt Sauce
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 2 to 3
Ingredients: 2 (6 to 8 oz.) portions rockfish; 2 tablespoons neutral cooking oil; 1 medium yellow onion, diced; Pinch of chili flakes; 2 small carrots, diced; 1 garlic clove, minced; 2-inch piece of ginger, minced; 2-inch piece of turmeric, minced (optional); 2 tablespoons tomato paste; 1 cup vegetable stock; 1 lemongrass stalk; 1 tablespoon turmeric powder; 1 teaspoon ground cumin; 1 tablespoon tamarind paste (optional); 1 (13.5 0z) can unsweetened coconut milk; 1 lime, juiced; ¼ cup dried cranberries or dried cherries, soaked in hot water for 15 minutes; ½ cup plain greek yogurt, divided; Salt and freshly ground black pepper; Dill, for garnish

Featuring a Stunning Sauce for Fish

This recipe features a punchy, golden sauce that complements the robust taste of rockfish. While the sauce requires some time to prepare, it can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator for up to a week until ready to use. It’s a beautiful dish to serve at a party, with a few sides like cucumber salad, noodles, and rice.

Turmeric, an earthy yellow spice, is the key ingredient in the recipe, turning the rich coconut milk & yogurt sauce a vibrant gold. Several other ingredients — ginger, lemongrass, and lime juice — combine to give this sauce incredible complexity to match its stunning color.

To slightly reduce the total time required for this recipe, you can start cooking the rockfish in step 5 as you're beginning to build the sauce. Otherwise, you can make the sauce ahead of time to streamline the process.

Substitutions and ingredients:

Turmeric: The recipe calls for a mix of fresh and ground turmeric, but if you can’t find fresh turmeric in your grocery store, you can omit it from the dish. Ground turmeric should be easy to find in any spice aisle.
Tamarind paste: Tamarind paste has a fruity, sour taste that pairs well with coconut milk and turmeric. It can be found at your local Southeast Asian or Latino grocery store. However, it’s an optional addition to this sauce and can be omitted. Lime juice alone should add the right balance of sour to the dish.
Dried cherries or cranberries: To prepare either of these to use in the recipe, place the dried fruit in a heat-safe bowl and pour just enough boiling water into the bowl to cover the fruit. Allow to soak for 15 minutes, then drain.
Yogurt: To make this sauce dairy-free, substitute soy yogurt or coconut yogurt.

About Chef George Pramatarov:

George Pramatarov is a chef based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Over the past decade, he has worked at several award-winning restaurants including St. Genevieve, Hai Hai, Grand Cafe, and Petite Leon — included in New York Times's 50 Favorite Restaurants of 2022. Born and raised in Bulgaria, George moved to the United States at age 14 and is equally influenced by Bulgarian, French, and American cuisine. Through cooking food and creating recipes, he is continually revisiting the feeling of home. When not cooking, George unwinds with his partner, Sara, and their crazy beagle at the family lakeside cabin in Wisconsin.

Print Recipe

Air Fryer Rockfish with Golden Yogurt Sauce

By Wild Alaskan Company

Prep time

15 minutes

Cook Time

45 minutes

Total time

60 minutes

Yield

2 to 3

Ingredients

2 (6 to 8 oz.) portions rockfish
2 tablespoons neutral cooking oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
Pinch of chili flakes
2 small carrots, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
2-inch piece of ginger, minced
2-inch piece of turmeric, minced (optional)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup vegetable stock
1 lemongrass stalk
1 tablespoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon tamarind paste (optional)
1 (13.5 0z) can unsweetened coconut milk
1 lime, juiced
¼ cup dried cranberries or dried cherries, soaked in hot water for 15 minutes
½ cup plain greek yogurt, divided
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Dill, for garnish

Instructions

1. Heat oil in a large, deep-sided pan. Saute onions with chili flakes, stirring occasionally until translucent, about 10 minutes. Add carrots and cook for an additional 5 minutes.

2. Stir in garlic, ginger, and fresh turmeric. Cook until garlic is fragrant, about 2 minutes.

3. Add tomato paste to pan. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally so bottom does not scorch.

4. When tomato paste has caramelized, deglaze pan with vegetable stock, then add lemongrass, turmeric powder, cumin, and tamarind, if using. Bring everything to a boil, then reduce heat to maintain a simmer for 10 minutes.

5. After 10 minutes, add coconut milk and stir to combine. Let simmer until carrots are soft. Take off heat and discard lemongrass, then allow to briefly cool. Once cool, pour everything into a blender to puree into a sauce.

6. Add sauce to a small saucepan, then bring to gentle simmer over low heat. Add lime juice, soaked and drained cranberries/cherries, and ¼ cup yogurt. Stir to combine, then season to taste with salt.

7. Meanwhile, preheat air fryer to 400F.

8. Using a clean kitchen towel or paper towel, pat rockfish fillets dry.

9. In a small bowl, season remaining ¼ cup yogurt with salt and black pepper. With pastry brush or back of a spoon, distribute yogurt over one side of rockfish. Spray air fryer basket with cooking spray, then place rockfish fillets yogurt side up. Set timer for 4 to 6 minutes and cook until tops are starting to brown. With a fish spatula, gently transfer fillets to a paper towel to absorb excess moisture from fish.

10. Transfer fish to a serving platter and spoon sauce over fillets. Garnish with dill and enjoy immediately.

Consuming raw or undercooked meats, poultry, seafood, shellfish, or eggs may increase your risk of food-borne illness, especially if you have a certain medical condition. The FDA recommends an internal temperature of 145°F for cooked fish.

Air Fryer Rockfish with Golden Yogurt Sauce

Featuring a Stunning Sauce for Fish

Substitutions and ingredients:

Air Fryer Rockfish with Golden Yogurt Sauce

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