Classic Cod with Lemon Butter
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Last updated
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 35–45 minutes
- Yield
- 4 servings
Main Coursecodlemon butterweeknight dinnerfamily dinner
Ingredients
- 4 evenly sized cod fillets, about 6 oz each, that meet the recommendation conditions
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp ground white pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh dill
- Flaky salt and lemon wedges, for serving
Method
Prepare
- Pat every cod fillet dry and season with the kosher salt and white pepper.
- Place each fillet in its own food-safe pouch with a small drizzle of olive oil. Seal the pieces flat without stacking or overlapping them.
Cook
- Set the water bath to 127°–135°F.
- Cook for 35–45 minutes for immediate service after the thermometer check.
- Slice the garlic, chop the herbs, and prepare the lemon zest and juice for the finish.
Check before finishing
- At the end of the bath, open the pouch and transfer each piece intact to a clean surface with clean utensils. Discard the pouch liquid and any sauce that touched raw food.
- Use a clean food thermometer. Insert the thermometer from the side into the thickest portion or center of every cod piece so the whole sensing area reaches the center. Check several places in every large or irregular piece.
- Every spot you check must reach 145°F for at least 15 seconds. If any reading is lower, keep cooking with a method hot enough to reach this temperature and check each cooler spot again. Complete this check before finishing.
- Only when an individual piece cannot be reliably probed with an appropriately sized food thermometer, cook that piece until opaque and easy to separate with a fork. This is not a measured temperature check or a pasteurization method.
Finish
- After completing the check, pat every cod piece completely dry.
- Heat the remaining olive oil in a clean skillet and color the cod lightly on both sides, handling the fillets gently.
- Move the cod to clean plates. Melt the butter with the garlic in the skillet, then take the pan off the heat and stir in the lemon zest, lemon juice, parsley, and dill.
Serve
- Spoon the lemon butter over the finished cod and finish with flaky salt.
- Serve immediately with lemon wedges.
Want another texture or thickness?
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