Active Time

　　20 minutes

　　Total Time

　　25 minutes

　　I could eat a meal like this almost every night. It's light and fresh, with vegetables and flaky fish poached in a perfumed broth. Five-spice powder is a Chinese spice blend combining equal parts cinnamon, star anise, clove, fennel, and Szechuan peppercorns, and can be found these days in most well-stocked grocery stores. A spa meal without the sacrifice, the chewy udon noodles and bok choy soak up that brothy flavor and round out this quick meal perfectly. Who said eating well was hard work?

　　

Ingredients

Serves 2

　　Two 6-oz/170-g black cod fillets

　　Salt and freshly ground black pepper

　　1 3/4 cups/420 ml chicken broth

　　1 tbsp dry sherry

　　1 tsp soy sauce, plus more if needed

　　1 tsp sugar

　　1 tsp five-spice powder

　　1 tsp toasted sesame oil

　　1 tbsp vegetable oil

　　3 heads baby bok choy, cored and thinly sliced on the diagonal (see "It's that easy"), leaves separated from stalks

　　1 carrot, peeled and thinly sliced on the diagonal (see "It's that easy")

　　1 tbsp peeled and minced fresh ginger

　　3 oz/85 g udon noodles

　　1 green onion, white and tender green parts, thinly sliced on the diagonal (see "It's that easy")

　　2 tsp minced fresh cilantro

　　1 tsp sesame seeds

　　

Step 1

1. Pat the fillets dry and sprinkle all over with salt and pepper.

　　

Step 2

2. In a small bowl, whisk together the chicken broth, sherry, soy sauce, sugar, five-spice powder, and sesame oil. Set aside.

　　

Step 3

3. Heat a 12-in/30.5-cm skillet with a lid over medium-high heat and add the vegetable oil. When the oil shimmers, add the bok choy stems, carrot, and ginger and sauté until the bok choy turns bright green and the ginger is fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the broth mixture and bring to a simmer. Add the noodles and give them a stir to keep them from sticking. When the broth returns to a simmer, top the noodles and veggies with the fish, bok choy leaves, and green onion. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the noodles and fish are tender and cooked through, about 4 minutes. Taste and add more soy sauce or pepper if the mix needs it.

　　

Step 4

4. Divide the noodles and fish between two warmed shallow bowls and ladle the broth and vegetables over. Garnish with the cilantro and sesame seeds and serve hot.

　　Cooks' Note

　　Variation: If you can't find black cod, don't despair. This dish is delicious using cod or tilapia as well.

　　It's that easy: Cutting vegetables on the diagonal is an Asian technique that exposes more cut surface to heat, helping the vegetables to cook faster. They also look prettier cut that way. Just angle your knife and slice away. You'll get the hang of it in no time.

　　Extra hungry? Serve a bigger piece of fish. About 8 oz/225 g should do it.

　　In the glass: Try a Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand, such as Kim Crawford or Pomelo for tropical fruit and a zesty finish.

　　Reprinted with permission from One Pan, Two Plates: More Than 70 Complete Weeknight Meals for Two by Carla Snyder. Text copyright © 2013 by Carla Snyder; photographs copyright © 2013 by Jody Horton. Published by Chronicle Books LLC.