This recipe is so comforting and such a delicious, foolproof, and easy way to cook fish. Cod gets gently poached with veggies in a creamy aromatic coconut milk broth until perfectly flaky. Miso paste gets mixed in at the end for an extra boost of sweet and salty umami flavor. Serve it over a bed of warm rice or rice noodles for a saucy veggie and protein packed dinner!
Ingredient higlight
Cod! this popular flaky, mild white fish is an amazing source of protein and omega-3 fats as well as vitamin C, vitamin E, potassium, magnesium, and vitamin B12.
Servings 4
Prep Time 15 minutes 
Cook Time 12 minutes Ingredients
- 2 cups rice (any variety or use rice noodles)
- 1-1.5 lbs cod (or other white flaky fish)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced, dark green and light/white green parts separated
- 1 tsp kosher salt, divided
- 8 oz mushrooms, thinly sliced (about 2 ½ cups)
- 1 large or 2 small carrots, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
- 2- inch knob ginger, thinly sliced into strips, then into matchsticks*
- ¼-½ tsp red pepper flakes**
- 1 (13.5 oz) can full-fat unsweetened coconut milk
- ½ lemon, thinly sliced into rounds***
- 2 bunches bok choy, tatsoi, or spinach (optional)
- 2 tbsp mellow white miso paste
- Fresh cilantro or dill, for topping (optional)
- Chili oil, for topping (optional)
- Lemon wedges, for serving
- *I like to keep the ginger intact here rather than grating it. If you’d rather grate the ginger, add it in during the last minute of cooking the veggies. You can peel the ginger if it’s very dirty.
- **Or use a thinly sliced spicy chili pepper and add it in with the veggies.
- ***Adding the whole lemon will add a bit of bitterness to the liquid, which I enjoy and balances the sweetness. If you don't like bitter flavor, skip adding the whole lemon and just stir in 1 tablespoon lemon juice at the end.
- Note: ~ add lemongrass! If you happen to have lemongrass that you need to use up (perhaps leftover from making the Thai Larb), you can add it in with the ginger.
Instructions
- Cook your rice or rice noodles (rice cooking instructions).
- Cut the cod into 4 filets. Pat dry with a paper towel, then sprinkle all over with salt to lightly coat and season the fish. Set aside.
- In a large skillet (that has a lid), warm the oil over medium heat. Add the white/light green parts of the scallions and ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook for about 2 minutes or until softened. Add mushrooms, carrots, ginger, red pepper flakes, and ½ teaspoon salt. Cook for 2 minutes or until the veggies have softened a bit, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in the coconut milk, lemon slices, and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt. Nestle the fish filets into the skillet so that they are about half covered with the liquid.
- Cover the skillet with a lid, bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 5-8 minutes or until the fish flakes easily with a fork (times vary greatly depending on fish thickness. If some filets are done sooner, remove them and continue to cook the rest).
- Once the fish is cooked, transfer it to a plate. If adding greens, submerge them into the coconut milk now, cover, and simmer until they are wilted, less than a minute. Turn off the heat.
- In a jar or liquid measuring cup, add the miso paste and scoop some of the coconut milk into it. Use a fork to mix/mash it up until mostly smooth, then stir back into the skillet.
- Add rice or noodles to your bowl. Top with fish and veggies and spoon more coconut milk sauce over everything. Top with the green parts of scallions, any other herbs (if using), chili oil (if using), and a squeeze of lemon.
Items you can prep ahead (optional)
- Cooks 2 cups rice (any variety or use rice noodles)
- Thinly slice 1 bunch scallions, dark green and light/white green parts separated
- Thinly slice 8 oz mushrooms (about 2 ½ cups)
- Thinly slice 1 large or 2 small carrots (about 1 cup)
- Thinly slice a 2-inch knob of ginger into matchsticks (remove peel if it’s very dirty)
Substitutions:
- To make vegetarian/vegan, use slabs of tofu in place of the fish or you could use 2 cups shelled edamame.
- If you don’t like mushrooms, feel free to substitute with another quick cooking veggie (like bell pepper or broccoli).
- You can substitute miso paste with soy sauce if you can’t find it or don’t have it.
Storage:
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer:
- Poached fish/veggies: up to 3 days in the fridge or 2 months in the freezer
- Rice: up to 6 days in the fridge or 2 months in the freezer
Leftovers + Repurposing:
- Warm up leftover rice in the microwave with a wet paper towel on top until warmed through. Top with the fish/veg/coconut milk and heat again until everything is warmed through. Top with lemon, herbs, and chili oil.
- You could heat the fish/veg/coconut up on the stove and add in some more greens or veg to stretch it. A splash of water will thin out the sauce, just be sure to taste and season with additional salt if needed.
- Top with a fried egg!
