Garlic Butter Cod

If you’re ever stuck for ideas on how to serve fish for a quick and easy dinner, this recipe is a no-brainer. Follow me…

Pan Fried Cod

Baking is a great option for cod, as is poaching and steaming. However today we’re going to pan-fry it. The sauce is made in the pan, so it makes sense to cook the cod in there too. Pan frying the cod also ensures you get a nice golden coating on it.

What kind of cod should I use?

I use cod fillets but you could use cod loins if you’d prefer. You’ll want to make sure the cod is skinless and boneless too.

Dredging the cod through flour

I love giving the cod a light coating of seasoned flour before frying it. This will help it build up a thin golden crust, which in turn helps absorb the sauce and encourage it to stick to the cod.

Pan-frying the cod

I use a combination of butter and oil; the butter adds a rich flavour, whilst the oil helps prevent the butter from burning. You’ll want to use a non-stick pan – cod is very delicate and can break apart if it sticks to the pan. Process shots: pat the cod dry (photo 1), coat in seasoned flour (photo 2), fry both sides then remove (photos 3&4).

Garlic Butter Sauce for Cod

The sauce is incredibly simple and consists of 4 main ingredients:

Garlic – This must be fresh. Don’t use the pickled jarred stuff, it’ll throw off the flavour. Butter – I like to use unsalted butter to gain more control over the seasoning of the sauce. Stock – I opt for vegetable stock for more of a neutral flavour to blend with the cod. Parsley – For an extra pop of flavour and colour.

I also like to incorporate the resting juices from the cod for an extra boost of flavour. But I guess this is more of a ‘free’ ingredient!

Sauce consistency

The sauce shouldn’t take long to thicken, just gently simmer and stir away and as the stock reduces, you’re left with a nice glossy, buttery sauce. The sauce might be quite thin at first, but when you add the cod back in, the floured exterior helps thicken the sauce. Process shots: very garlic (photo 1), add stock and butter (photo 2), melt butter then add parsley (photo 3), simmer then add cod (photo 4).

How do I know when the cod is cooked?

The flesh should be opaque right the way through. It should also easily flake with a fork.

How do I prevent the cod from overcooking?

Definitely stay on the side of caution when you fry it because it’ll carry on cooking slightly as it rests and when added back to the pan. It’s always better to have it slightly undercooked as you can simmer it for a couple of minutes to finish it off if you need to. If in doubt, just gently ply open the centre with two forks to check the doneness.

How garlicky is the sauce?

It does end up fairly garlicky, which may be surprising as you’re only using 2 garlic cloves and some garlic powder in the batter. Even if you absolutely love garlic, I’d stick with the measurements provided, at least for the first time.

Can I use a different protein instead?

The sister recipes to this is my Garlic Butter Pork Chops, Garlic Butter Salmon and Garlic Butter Chicken so do give them a go if you fancy!

Serving Garlic Butter Cod

When it comes to serving the salmon, you’ll want to add a lemon wedge to each plate. A squeeze of lemon juice will cut through the richness of the sauce and finish everything off nicely. Here I’ve served with some boiled baby potatoes alongside some green beans, but check out my Side Dishes for more inspo! Alrighty, let’s tuck into the full recipe for this garlic butter cod shall we?!