Simple Poached Cod
TIME/SERVINGS
Total: 15 mins
Active: 5 mins
Makes: 4 servings
By Amy Wisniewski
Poaching is a low-hassle way to cook fish. Here we’ve taken a standard poaching base and added shallots, carrots, and potatoes. While some testers liked the fish and vegetables served alone, others preferred having a few ladlefuls of broth, making for a dish that’s somewhere between poached fish and a simple fish soup. No matter how you serve it, it’ll be quick, easy, and tasty.
This was featured as part of our Post-Holiday Recovery Menu.
- 6 cups cold water
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- 3 medium shallots, thinly sliced
- 3 medium red potatoes, cut lengthwise and thinly sliced
- 1 medium carrot, peeled and thinly sliced on the bias
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 2 medium bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
- 4 (6-ounce) cod fillets
- 1/2 medium lemon, sliced paper thin
- 6 parsley sprigs, stems trimmed and coarsely chopped
- Combine water, wine, shallots, potatoes, carrot, salt, bay leaves, and peppercorns in a large shallow-sided pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low until liquid is at a simmer.
- When poaching liquid is barely simmering, add fish in a single layer, making sure it is completely covered with liquid.
- Poach until cod flesh is opaque and flakes easily (internal temperature should be 175ºF) and vegetables are fork tender, about 7 minutes. To serve, place a fish fillet in each of 4 bowls, divide vegetables and broth evenly, and garnish with lemon slices and parsley.
Beverage pairing: Christian Moreau Chablis, France. The flavors in this dish are clean, simple, and natural, so the wine should echo these characteristics without getting in the way. Chablis has great acidity and nice pure fruit and mineral flavors to beautifully enhance this comforting dish.
COMMENTS | ADD YOUR OWN
Utterly bland and flavorless. What a waste of cod.
Yeah, you could figure that out going in - that has to be the most insipid court-bouillon recipe I've ever seen. Cod needs big flavors to bring out its meatiness. More wine, more lemon, some wild fennel, some onion and/or garlic; cook the court-bouillon beforehand, then strain it and proceed. I also think that the potatoes need to be cooked separately, since they tend to suck all the flavor into themselves.
LOL Stpauligirl, before even reading your comment I was looking at the picture and said, " uggh that looks so bland"
This fish is crying out to be dressed with something. Even just some good extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice and a few turns of the black pepper mill ....
Cod is better as Carnitas than in this recipe... no doubt.
This looks suitable for people who suffer from flavor intolerance or who are recovering from a stroke.
I'm a big fan of cod and like how this simple poach adds to the fish without overwhelming it. And, seeing as it's easy and quick, it's perfect for a weeknight dinner.
I started making this recipe before I read the comments... I ended up substituting spring onion for shallot, chicken broth+lemon juice for the white wine (I was out), halving the salt, and adding fresh dill and more lemon juice.... Turned out pretty tasty! I would definitely do the bay leaves/peppercorns before the rest of the veggies, it was a big pain to pick them out..
weezerific, I have a little muslin bag that came with some potpourri someone gave me. I'm not particularly crazy about potpourri, but I use that bag to put things like bay leaves and peppercorns in on just such occasions as this. If you don't have something of this sort, a good and easy alternative is to cut a square of cheesecloth - not the loose, webby kind, but the closer weave - put the spices on that, then tie it into a bundle with string. Then you can just throw the whole thing out after you've used it.