Or save the fight for another day and serve lemon butter chicken cutlets instead. Like lemon butter cod but with, yup, chicken. Bonafide fish lovers looking for something more fancy, try sole Meuniere. Sweet-fleshed sole, a sauce that’s butter-rich and lively with lemon and capers make this a 5-star fish dish.
Fried cod
Cod is a solid starter fish. I mean, is there anyone who doesn’t eat fish sticks (fish fingers (UK))? Here are five reasons to choose cod fillets as a gateway fish: This fried fish recipe could be the next baby step to your family’s pesca-ppreciation. If you’re trying to promote a love of fish, after all it’s a welcome break from chicken, start the journey with a frying pan. And butter. It is actual science. Frying anything in butter leads to a Maillard reaction: the irresistible browning of food that gives that slight crisp and touch of gold. This recipe delivers exactly that. Then add lemon to the brown butter and you have a sauce that is slick, mellow-tasting with toasty nuts clinging to the white flesh, but also a fresh splash of citrus to spark the seaside flavour of the cod. Although I’m not a keen fryer, this is the best method for a lemon butter sauce.
Serving suggestions
If this dish is an attempt to convert your household to fish-eating, serve with familiar sides. Fish with chips and peas are failsafe. Air fryer fries or crispy potatoes are satisfying and crunchy and will keep the kitchen time to a minimum. Less traditional diners might prefer their lemon butter cod over blistered cherry tomatoes and creamy butter beans, or with herb and garlic mashed potatoes, which bring a whipped texture to the plate, and lemon green beans for some more zest and crunch.
Storage and leftovers
Fish fillets are perfectly portioned per person so it’s unlikely you’ll have to deal with leftover cod, which is fortunate as there are few, if not no recipes that make use of cold cooked cod. This one should be eaten hot and fresh from pan to plate.
More recipes to try
Crab Cakes with Lemon Garlic Aioli Perfect Baked Cod with Mustard Sauce Sea Bass is Brown Butter Caper Sauce Asian Salmon with Carrot and Cucumber Sauce
