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Poached Cod With Lemon-Parsley Sauce
- Total Time
- 10 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
- 2½tablespoons lemon juice (juice of 1 large or 2 small lemons)
- 2½tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2tablespoons hot water
- ½teaspoon salt
- ¼teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 6cups water
- 6pieces codfish, preferably the thick, back fillets (about 1¾ pounds total, each 4 to 5 ounces and 1 inch thick)
For the Lemon-parsley Sauce
For the Cod
Preparation
- Step 1
Mix the lemon-parsley sauce ingredients together thoroughly in a small bowl, then set aside.
- Step 2
At serving time, bring the 6 cups of water to a boil in a large saucepan. Holding the fish fillets with a slotted spoon or skimmer, lower them individually into the pan, and bring the water back to a boil. Reduce the heat to very low, and poach the fish, cooking the pieces at a very light boil for 3 to 4 minutes, until they are barely cooked through.
- Step 3
Using a slotted spoon or skimmer, lift the fish from the water, drain thoroughly, and arrange one fillet on each of six warm plates. Press the fish lightly with a spatula or fork to make it separate a little into flakes, which will permit the sauce to be absorbed and to penetrate the interior of the fish.
- Step 4
Spoon the sauce over the fish. Serve immediately.
Private Notes
Cooking Notes
I believe that the 6 cups water in the directions should not be part of the list of ingredients for the lemon-parsley sauce. Rather, the water is used for poaching the cod.
I took cues from this recipe (for the sauce), and another oldie, a 2002 Minimalist recipe. I poached carrots, then potatoes, and used the resulting veggie-water bath for the cod. It turned out to be a lovely, light, summer meal. The lemony sauce was great on both the fish and the veg, despite the fact that I needed to omit both parsley and black pepper. I ended up doing the same thing the following night, with flounder fillets. The cod was much better suited to this preparation.
This is genius cooking, taking advantage of everything cod has to offer and adding nothing the human body is better off without.
Poached in weak bouillon (for the salt) and a little milk. Served over fresh spinach - liquid from the cod will blanch it - put ground nutmeg and paprika over the spinach before adding fish and sauce. Added a little lemon zest to sauce, subbed cilantro. There can be thinly sliced scallions either in the sauce or under the fish. Have done this w/ good frozen or fresh cod, large and small filets. Good.
Adore this recipe. The sauce goes well with any poached white fish, and it’s an easy weeknight dinner. Jacques Pépin is so great at giving us simple yet sophisticated recipes.
53-4
I thought I followed the recipe correctly, but my results were pretty dismal. I don't know if my cod was of low quality, if I cooked it too long, or if the results just didn't appeal to me.
I suspect it was the use of water to poach. I've seen many recipes to poach cod and I don't think any used water. I used 50/50 milk and water with some lemon zest for a very nice result.
Didn't have parsley so I used fresh oregano. Good but parsley would probably been better. Simple recipe with good results. Would fix again.
I believe that the 6 cups water in the directions should not be part of the list of ingredients for the lemon-parsley sauce. Rather, the water is used for poaching the cod.
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