Garlic Butter Cod Recipe

Original Post: https://www.evolvingtable.com/garlic-butter-cod/

Garlic butter sauce is drizzled over a cod fillet in a cast iron skillet.

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These easy garlic butter cod fillets turn one skillet and about 15 minutes into a dinner that tastes like it came from a restaurant. The secret is a rosemary-infused garlic butter you spoon right over the fish as it sears, so every bite is buttery, golden, and just a little fancy.

Prep Time5

Cook Time10

Total Time15

Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Author: London Brazil

Equipment

Ingredients

1 pound cod loin cut into 4 fillets
1 ½ tablespoons avocado oil
¾ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons salted butter cut into cubes
1 sprig fresh rosemary
3 cloves garlic finely minced
fresh lemon for serving, optional

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Instructions

Pat the cod fillets completely dry with a paper towel, then sprinkle both sides with the salt and pepper. Heat the avocado oil in a large cast-iron or stainless steel skillet over medium-high until the oil is shimmering. Don’t rush this. The pan needs to be fully heated so the fish doesn’t stick.
1 pound cod loin, 1 ½ tablespoons avocado oil, ¾ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Add the fillets and cook, undisturbed, for 2-3 minutes, or until a golden, crusty sear develops. The fish will release from the pan on its own when it’s ready. If it resists the spatula, give it another 30-60 seconds. Flip the fillets, immediately add the butter, and reduce the heat to medium-low.
1 pound cod loin, 3 tablespoons salted butter
Nestle the rosemary sprig around the fish and add the garlic to the melted butter. Stir the garlic almost constantly for about 30 seconds, or until fragrant. Watch closely here, because cast iron holds a lot of heat and the butter and garlic can go from golden to burnt fast. If things brown too quickly, slide the skillet off the heat for a few seconds to bring the temperature back down.
1 sprig fresh rosemary, 3 cloves garlic
Tilt the skillet slightly and spoon the garlic-rosemary butter over the fillets. Continue basting and cooking for another 1-2 minutes, or until the cod is opaque and flakes easily with a fork.
Remove the fish with a slotted spatula and serve with the garlic butter sauce and a squeeze of fresh lemon, if desired.
fresh lemon

Video

Notes

Cod: Use cod loin over thin fillets, since it’s thicker and holds up better to searing. Look for evenly sized pieces about ¾ to 1 inch thick so they cook at the same rate, and thaw frozen cod completely before cooking.

Butter: A European-style butter like Kerrygold has more butterfat, so the sauce tastes richer. I used salted; if you use unsalted, bump up the salt on the fish.

Doneness: Cod is done at 145°F, or when it’s opaque and flakes easily with a fork. Don’t overcook it, or it dries out fast.

Skillet: Cast iron gives the best sear because it holds heat, and stainless works too. Let it fully preheat, and skip nonstick.

Storage: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 to 3 days.

Reheating: Warm gently in a skillet over low heat or in a 275°F oven. Avoid the microwave, which makes the fish rubbery.

Freezing: Not recommended, since cooked cod turns watery and loses its crisp sear once thawed. Best made fresh.

Substitutions: Swap in another firm white fish (halibut, haddock, grouper), fresh thyme for the rosemary, or any neutral high-heat oil for the avocado oil.

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