Oven Poached Cod. Okay, homecooks, don’t let that word “poached” scare you. It SOUNDS like a “chef-only” word, but really it just means to cook in a liquid at a low temperature. In this case, a really good extra virgin olive oil. Steve and I have been together for five years, and there have been very few seafood dinners he approves of. This is one of them. This herby, oven poached cod is fresh, lemon-y, delicious with tons of different side dishes. A toasty, crusty bread dipped in the oil & garlic– there are no words.
If You are New To Cod
If you are new to cooking with cod or thicker white fish, this is a really great recipe to start with. The oven gets changed to a lower temperature of 300°, & we bake the fish low and slow. Many seafood recipes have a very fast cooking time. In this one, we have twenty minutes leaving lots of opportunity to check for doneness.
Tip number one: Tug at the fish with your fork while it’s raw. It will be tough to pull on. When the Cod is cooked, the exact opposite will happen. The fish will flake very easily with a gentle tug. Tip number two: go in with confidence. Overcooked fish happens when you are afraid to over cook your fish! Have confidence that you know what it should look like when it’s ready. Tip number three: check the fish after 10 minutes. Checking early will help you watch the process. The fish should be totally opaque and stark white when ready.
The Extra Virgin Olive Oil
A really good Extra Virgin Olive Oil makes all of the difference here. The taste is made for this recipe. I know this one is pricey, but you will use it for any dish from here on out with the olive oil taste is very forward. Examples: Linguine Aglio e Olio or Bruschetta .
The recipe itself while seemingly-fancy, is very simple. Mix the herbs, salt, pepper and lemon with your favorite extra virgin olive oil. Pour it in a baking dish with crushed garlic cloves. The oil will be flavored when the mixture bakes and the garlic roasts. Next, let your oil cool and place your fish into the oil. Cook your fish. Herby Oven Poached Cod is ready. HOW SIMPLE IS THAT?
If you make this oven poached cod, be sure to tag me on Instagram @quartersoulcrisis, or comment here and let me know what you think!
[kindred-recipe id=”2592″ title=”Herby Oven Poached Cod”]
Lynn Palermo says
In your comments you talk about turning down the oven temperature to 300 and cooking the fish low and slow, but in the recipe you have 350 for the whole time. Which is it? Looks delicious and I want to make it the right way. Thank you.
Quarter Soul Crisis says
Lynn, so sorry for the confusion! I fixed it in the directions. Cook the oil with herbs & garlic at 350, then put temp down to 300. Thank you so much for pointing that out to me. I hope I get an update when you make it!