Butter Soy Cod
Silky Cod with Soy-Butter Pan Sauce and Caramelized Leeks
Delicate cod gets the respect it deserves here—a light flour coating creates the perfect sear while keeping the fish moist inside. The real magic happens when butter meets soy sauce in the same pan, creating an instant umami-rich sauce that pools beautifully around sweet, wilted leeks.
JapaneseAsianDinnerQuick Meals
Ingredients
- 4 filletscod fillets (90g each)
- salt and pepper
- plain flour
- 2 tbspvegetable oil
- 1 leek
- 1 tbspbutter
- 1 tbspsoy sauce
- ½ lemon
Instructions
- Pat the cod fillets completely dry, then season both sides generously with salt and pepper. Lightly dust each fillet with flour, shaking off any excess—you want just enough to create a thin coating. While you prep the fish, slice the leek into thin diagonal pieces, using both the white and light green parts.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a large frying pan over medium heat until it shimmers. Gently place the cod fillets in the pan and let them cook undisturbed for 3 minutes—resist the urge to move them around. Flip carefully and cook another 3 minutes until the fish flakes easily with a fork. Transfer the fillets to your serving plates.⏱ 6 min
- Drop the butter directly into the same hot pan and let it melt and foam. Add the sliced leek and stir-fry until the pieces soften and turn bright green, about 2 minutes. Pour in the soy sauce, which will sizzle and reduce slightly, then immediately spoon this glossy sauce and the leeks over each piece of cod. Serve with lemon wedges for squeezing.