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Golden brown cod fillets on a plate with fresh arugula, smashed olives, butter sauce and lemon wedge.

Lemon Butter Cod

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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Yield 2 servings
Category Dinner, Main Course, Main Dish
Cuisine American/Italian, Italian, Italian/Mediterranean
Author Lauren Grant

Description

Fresh cod fillets served with a savory browned butter sauce, briny olives and a simple green salad. Restaurant dining at home!

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Ingredients

  • 1 (10-ounce) jar pitted castelvetrano olives (or 1 heaping cup)
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • ¼ cup minced shallot
  • 1 large clove garlic minced
  • 1 lemon, zested and juiced + more for serving
  • 2 (4 to 6-ounce) cod fillets
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 2 cups baby arugula
  • 2 tablespoons chopped chives

Instructions

Lemon Brown Butter Sauce

  • Reserve 2 tablespoons olive brine, then drain olives. Place olives on a cutting board or baking sheet and gently crush with heel of hand to lightly smash; set aside.
  • In a small saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons butter over medium-low heat. Add shallot and cook, stirring occasionally, until shallot is softened and butter is golden brown, 3–5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds.
  • Remove from heat and add 2 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, 2 tablespoon lemon juice, smashed olives and 2 tablespoon olive brine; stir to combine then season to taste with salt and pepper.
  • Pat cod dry with paper towels. Season with salt, pepper, oregano, garlic powder and onion powder.

Air Fryer Instructions

  • Spray bottom of air fryer basket with olive oil. Place cod fillets in basket and cook at 370ºF degrees for 4–6 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 145ºF degrees.

Stovetop Instructions

  • Heat a large cast-iron skillet or stainless steel skillet set over medium for 3 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon avocado or vegetable oil to skillet, swirl to coat and add cod fillets.
  • Cook fillets just until starting to brown, about 4 minutes. Flip fillets and cook 3–4 minutes more until browned on second side and a thermometer inserted in thickest parts registers between 140–145ºF; transfer to plates.
  • Add arugula to each plate and drizzle butter sauce over top. Finish with chives and serve immediately with lemon wedges.

Notes

Leftovers storage: store fish in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Reheat gently in a 350ºF oven until warmed through or on the stovetop over medium heat. For the easiest reheating method, use the microwave but heat in 30-second increments on 80% power to avoid overcooking.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 fillet + sauce and arugulaCalories: 548kcalCarbohydrates: 9gProtein: 77gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 8.5gCholesterol: 188mgSodium: 895mgFiber: 2g
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