Published July 3, 2020

I had fun with last week’s salmon cake recipe and was up for another challenge. So I selected a second recipe from my EatingWell Magazine stack and made it during the week.

Ingredients for EatingWell’s Pan-Fried Cod with Herb Sauce

Substituting Ingredients

Since I used similar herbs and main ingredients from last week’s salmon recipe, I only had to purchase the fresh Cod.

I replaced the original recipe’s whole-wheat flour for all-purpose flour. I also didn’t have grapeseed oil for frying, so I just used olive oil. I’m sure the grapeseed oil added a particular flavor to the dish, but I was happy with the taste of using the olive oil.

How to Cook EatingWell’s Pan-Fried Cod with Herb Sauce

Tools for this Dish

• You’ll need two large non-stick frying pans (I used a medium cast iron pan and found that the fish stuck at times).

• Cutting board, knife, medium bowl, measuring cups and spoons (for the sauce)

• Wooden spatula or spoon (for the spinach)

• Metal spatula (for flipping the fish)

Cooking Notes

The original EatingWell recipe served this cod with a side of charred snap peas. Instead of snap peas I had an 11 ounce container of baby spinach leaves.

If you’ve ever made sautéed spinach, you know that a large amount of fresh leaves cook down to nothing. I didn’t use the full container of spinach (though I probably could’ve and saved any leftovers).

If you’re serving four adults with this recipe, I recommend making the full container and adding the leaves in batches. As the leaves wilt and there’s room in the pan, add another handful and fold the spinach together. If the leaves look like they’re sticking, add another pad of butter or a splash of olive oil.

The spinach takes a few minutes to heat up, so I recommend making this at the start of the recipe. That way, your fish doesn’t get cold because you’re waiting to cook spinach.

Pan-Frying the Cod

I cooked each fish fillet one at a time because I didn’t want to crowd the pan. My pan didn’t make it easy to flip, as sometimes the coating got stuck. When I make this again, I would use a stainless steel pan to help get a golden crust (and make it easier to flip).

Since I cooked each fish fillet one at a time, I served the fish as soon as it was done. I placed a few tablespoons of spinach, a dollop of the herb sauce and the fish on top. You can also add a side of the herb sauce for dipping.

If your cod is a thick piece (like my first one), you can add another minute or so to the cook time, to ensure that it’s cooked through. The cod will be done when it is white all the way through and flaky. You can see on my final plate that the flesh pulls apart, it’s so tender.

The Final Product

Fresh Herb Sauce

I was happy with how this dish turned out!

At first I wasn’t sure if I was going to like a mayo and buttermilk sauce, but it was perfect, and added most of the flavor to the dish. It wasn’t overpowering and you couldn’t detect any one specific flavor over another.

If you want to serve “seconds” of the sauce, I would recommend doubling the recipe, as I dipped my fish in generous amounts of sauce.

Crispy Cod

I’ve never cooked cod before. I loved how the olive oil added to the buttery texture of the fish. I wish my pan worked out better to get a thick golden crust on the fish (the way EatingWell’s Magazine has). But I did get a little bit of color and crispness which was awesome.

Sautéed Spinach

If you’re familiar with the blog and my cooking style, then you know I start most recipes with garlic, onion, and olive oil. It took self-restraint not to add these ingredients to my sautéed spinach.

I wasn’t sure how bold the herb sauce flavor would be. I decided to leave the spinach plain in seasoning, as not to make conflicting flavors with the herb sauce.

Now that I know how the herbed sauce tastes, I’ll add some seasoning to my sautéed spinach when I make this again.

Recipe Score

I would give EatingWell’s Pan-Fried Cod with Herb Sauce a 10/10 for the following:

• Recipe Level

  • Easy: I made this recipe on a weeknight after work. It took under 30 minutes to whip up the dressing, sautée the spinach, and fry the fish.
    
    You also don’t have to be meticulous about chopping the herbs, since they’re mixed into the sauce. As long as your fish is cooked through, even if you don’t get a spectacular golden crust, this dish will be a hit.

• Ingredients

  • If you have the leftover ingredients from last week’s salmon cake recipe, you already have most of what you need. Otherwise, a trip to the store for fish, herbs (unless you grow your own), dairy, and a veggie is all you’ll need.

• Prep

  • Besides a trip to the store, this recipe doesn’t require any prep.

• Flavor

  • 10/10: Fresh spinach, flaky cod with a crispy coating, and a tangy herb sauce make for a light summertime dish.

K. Martinelli Makes EatingWell's Pan-Fried Cod with Herb Sauce

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