Cod Piccata

Cod piccata is a wonderful seafood dish that combines pan-seared cod with salty capers, garlic, and sliced lemon in a buttery white wine sauce.  This dish is great for weeknights since it can be ready in about 30 minutes but is also great for gatherings and holidays!

Piccata is one of my favorite ways to prepare food because it’s so loaded with flavor you’d never know how easy it is!

The fish is pan-seared and topped with a buttery combination of garlic, capers, and lemon and comes together in about 30 minutes.

This cod piccata recipe calls for fresh cod which is so mild in flavor it can be enjoyed by those who are on the pickier side when it comes to seafood.

Cod piccata goes perfectly with a bed of garlicky sauteed spinach and rice.

How to make it

Each number corresponds to the numbered written steps below.

1. Preheat the oven to 325f and set a rack to the middle level. Slice 4 cloves of garlic and rinse 3 tablespoons (this helps get rid of a bit of the extra salt) of capers.  Mince 3 tablespoons of parsley, and cube 5 tablespoons of butter.  Cut 2 large lemons into 8-10 slices and the rest into wedges for serving. Add 3/4 cup of flour to a plate or shallow bowl. Trim 1 1/2 pounds of cod into 6-8 inch long pieces and pat the fillets dry. Season both sides with salt and pepper, then dredge the cod pieces in the flour and set them aside on parchment paper.  Save the flour for use later on in the recipe.

2. Heat a large nonstick pan to a touch less than medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter.  Sear the cod fillets in the pan until cooked through, about 3-4 minutes per side.  
3. Once the fillets are seared, move them to an oven-safe platter lightly tented with foil.  Repeat the process for the remaining fillets taking care to not overcrowd the pan and using a touch more olive oil and butter, as needed. Once all the cod pieces are seared, place the platter in the oven and turn off the heat.  This will keep the cod nice and hot as you prepare the sauce.

4. Dredge the remaining cubed butter in the remaining flour and set aside.
5. Using the same pan, turn the heat down to low and add the garlic and a touch more olive oil. Saute the garlic for about 1-2 minutes, or until golden, then add the capers and cook for 1 minute longer.

6. Add 3 ounces of dry white wine and 1 cup of low-sodium chicken stock and bring the heat up to high.  Use a wooden spoon to gently scrape the bottom of the pan to dislodge the brown bits.  Boil for 2-3 minutes or until the sauce reduces by half.
7. Turn the heat down and add the lemon slices.  Simmer for 2 minutes longer.

8. Add the floured cubed butter to the pan and use a whisk or wooden spoon to stir and emulsify the sauce.  Taste test and adjust salt and pepper.  If more lemon flavor is desired, squeeze one of the serving wedges into the pan.
9. When satisfied with the sauce add the parsley to the sauce.

10. Remove the cod from the oven and pour the sauce over the fillets.  Serve with the remaining lemon wedges and enjoy!

Top tips

• Fish. This recipe calls for cod which is widely available in most grocery stores.  If you can’t find cod, substitute pollack or haddock, but the cooking time may vary.  
• Wine. We used a dry white wine (sauvignon blanc) for this recipe.  If you prefer to not use alcohol, simply omit it.  
• Equipment. Like most fish, cod is delicate so be gentle when pan-searing it. We recommend using a nonstick pan, and a fish spatula to move it from the pan to the platter.
• Method. In our chicken piccata recipe, we return the chicken to cook in the sauce at the last step.  Since cod is more delicate than chicken, we don’t use this method and rather keep the cod warm in the oven, then pour the sauce directly onto the fish when ready to serve. This will help to keep the fillets intact.  

More seafood recipes

Here are a few more of our favorite seafood recipes.  We hope you enjoy them!

• Stuffed flounder – with spinach and feta.
• Salmon oreganata – with garlicky breadcrumbs.
• Shrimp Francese – in a lemon butter sauce.

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