Cod with Lemon-Caper Relish

Easy and elegant baked cod with a salty preserved lemon and caper relish

I've mentioned it before, but we are lucky to live by one of the best seafood markets in the country. Whenever we talk about moving, I immediately wonder how we would eat without access to a proper fish market with dozens of fresh seafood options available. We're spoiled and it's awesome. That said, I haven't been cooking as much fish lately because the store isn't on my commute home from work like it once was. I was able to make it there over the weekend and picked up some beautiful fresh cod that I served with a relish of preserved lemons, capers, and parsley. The recipe is adapted from The Sprouted Kitchen and calls for searing the fish in a pan, spooning the relish on top, and then finishing it in the oven with a pat of butter. It has flavors similar to a chicken piccata, especially when you spoon the buttery pan sauce on top of the fillets. Serve it with a hunk of bread or some rice to soak it all up.

Note: This recipe calls for preserved lemons, which I make and store in the fridge for months at a time. You can try my recipe or buy them online or at specialty stores.


Related Recipes:
- Baked Cod with Butter & Sherry
- Cod Baked with Chorizo & Tomato Sauce
- Grilled Cod Tacos with Citrus Slaw & Avocado Crema


Cod with Lemon-Caper Relish:
Ingredients
- 2 boneless skinless cod fillets, about 5-6 oz. each, preferably wild caught
- 1 preserved lemon, rinsed and diced
- 2 tbsp. minced shallots
- 2 tbsp. chopped parsley
- 2 tbsp. capers, rinsed and pat dry
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 1/2 tbsp. salted butter
- 1 tbsp. canola oil
- pinch of red chile flakes
- kosher salt
- black pepper

Recipe

• Preheat the oven to 400F.
• Take the cod out of the fridge and season with salt and pepper.
• In a small bowl, mix together the preserved lemon, shallots, parsley, capers, red chile flakes, and olive oil.
• Heat the canola oil and 1/2 tbsp. butter in a medium skillet over high heat for 2 minutes.
• Add the fish and cook for 2 minutes, then gently flip and cook for another 2 minutes.
• Turn off the heat, spoon the lemon mixture on top of the fish, allowing some to drip down and onto the pan. Add in the remaining tbsp. of butter.
• Transfer the skillet to the oven and cook for 5-6 minutes, or until the fish is just opaque in the center.
• Carefully transfer the fish to your plates and spoon the pan sauce on top.

Serves two