You just need 25 minutes to make Cod Piccata! You'll love the flavors of wine, lemon and chicken stock in this restaurant-worthy dish. It's one of my best cod recipes and works for any type of fish piccata!
Welcome to one of the most satisfyingly delicious seafood dishes! My Cod Piccata features pan-seared cod that's been dusted with flour and topped with a thickened butter sauce accented with wine, lemon and capers.
It's similar to chicken or veal piccata and is hearty enough to please meat lovers. I'm willing to bet it'll win over anyone who doesn't like fish!
Recipe ingredients
Cod: Use fresh or completely thawed cod fillets or loins and pat them dry. Of course, you could substitute any sturdy white fish, such as halibut, pollock, haddock or orange roughy.
Canola Oil: You'll need to use cooking oil with a high smoke point so it doesn't burn when sizzling hot. Canola or avocado oil works well here. I don't recommend using olive oil for this recipe.
White Wine: I like Sauvignon Blanc here, but you can use any dry white wine. I haven't tried this with red wine, but you could probably use that in a pinch.
If you need to omit the alcohol, you can use extra chicken stock instead.
Capers: Capers resemble little green olives but are actually flower buds from the caper bush. They're salty from being pickled, so I recommend draining and rinsing them before adding them to the piccata sauce.
While piccata dishes typically call for capers, you can omit them if you're not a fan. (Confession: I add them to this dish for my husband, but scrape them off of my portion!)
Of course, you could substitute chopped green olives if needed.
Chicken Stock: It may seem odd to use chicken stock in a fish recipe, but trust me on this. It adds delicious flavor and thins out the sauce.
How to make it
See the card at the end of this post for the full recipe, but here's an overview.
Cook the cod
- Season the cod with salt and pepper.
- Dredge both sides of the fish in flour.
- Sear in a pan of sizzling oil until cooked on both sides, then transfer the cod to a platter.
Make the lemon piccata sauce
- Add wine to the pan and scrape the pan to incorporate any bits left from the cod. Cook for a minute to reduce the liquid by half, then add lemon juice.
- Whisk chicken stock and flour together, then add the mixture to the pan. (Note, you just need 1 tablespoon of flour to mix in, so it will be less than what is shown in the photo.)
- Add butter to the pan and cook until it's melted and incorporated.
- Add the capers and cook for a minute. Pour the piccata sauce over the fish.
Recipe tips
- For nicely browned, seared cod, the fish must not be wet. Don't rinse it, and use paper towels to absorb any liquid.
- If the cod sticks to the pan, wait before trying to flip it. It will flip easily when it develops a seared crust.
What to serve with cod piccata
Serve the cod with lemon wedges. It's delicious over buttered pasta, al dente rice or Amish mashed potatoes.
Add a side of steamed asparagus, green beans with bread crumbs or Italian mushrooms for a complete meal!
What does piccata mean?
"Piccata' means "larded" in Italian. Italian-American piccata dishes usually include pounded, thin, floured meat sautéed and topped with a sauce featuring butter, lemon, wine and capers.
When preparing seafood piccata, there's no need to pound the fish.
More cod recipes to try
Enjoy!
If you try this Cod Piccata recipe, please leave a comment and a rating!
Cod Piccata
Ingredients
- 1 pound cod
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour (divided use)
- 3 tablespoons canola oil (or avocado oil)
- ¼ cup white wine (Sauvignon Blanc works well)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice (plus extra lemon wedges for serving)
- ¼ cup chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons capers (drained and rinsed)
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (optional)
Instructions
- Pat the fish dry with paper towels and feel for any bones to remove. (If using thawed fish that was frozen, squeeze out any remaining liquid.) Use kitchen scissors to cut the cod into portion sizes if needed.
- Season the cod with the salt and pepper. Place ⅓ cup of flour in a dinner plate. Dredge the fish in the flour so it's coated on both sides. Save the rest of the flour so you can use a little of it to thicken the sauce later.
- Add the oil to a 12-inch, nonstick skillet and heat it on medium-high. When the oil is rippling hot, use a spatula to add the cod to the pan in a single layer, uncovered.
- Sear the first side without moving it for 4 minutes for thick pieces, or three minutes for thin pieces. Wait until they're browned and move easily when you nudge them before flipping them. Flip over the fish carefully (it helps to use two spatulas) and sear the second side without moving it for another 4 minutes for thick pieces or 3 minutes for thin ones. (If the cod is really thick, you might need an extra minute.) To check for doneness, you can place a thick piece of fish on a plate and cut it open. The fish should flake easily and not look shiny inside. Remove the cooked cod to a platter.
- Carefully add ¼ cup wine to the pan over medium-high heat (the wine will splash, so you might want to wear gloves.) Scrape up the bits of cod with a wooden spoon and boil the wine for one minute, until the liquid is reduced by half. Stir in 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Boil the sauce for another minute.
- In a liquid measuring cup, whisk ¼ cup of chicken stock with 1 tablespoon of the remaining flour. Pour this mixture into the pan and whisk to combine, letting it cook for a minute. Whisk in 2 tablespoons of butter until melted and combined into the sauce. Stir in the drained capers and cook for a minute. Turn off the heat.
- Spoon the sauce onto the cod and add a squeeze of lemon juice on top of each piece. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve with extra lemon wedges.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat leftovers in the microwave.
Notes
- For nicely browned, seared cod, the fish must not be wet. Don't rinse it, and use paper towels to absorb any liquid.
- Use cooking oil with a high smoke point, such as canola, avocado oil or vegetable oil. Don't use olive oil, which has a lower smoke point and will burn.
Nutrition
(Recipe Source: Cooking with Mamma C)
Anna Bucciarelli says
Wonderful! I truly love cod so am so happy to see this new recipe for me to try asap. I also want to tell you that I am hoping all will go well with your parents ... It is not an easy time for you or them but my prayers (along with all of your subscribers I'm sure) are with you all. Blessings coming your way.
Mamma C says
Hi Anna - Thank you from the bottom of my heart! Your prayers and support mean so much to me. Enjoy the cod!