Cod Poached in Olive Oil With Smashed Potatoes

A few years ago, I noticed many chefs were poaching lobster tails in butter. I’ve also tasted this dish and it’s “wowzers”.

Fish traditionally gets poached in a flavourful stock – it’s okay. When I began hosting my Greek Supper Clubs, I served up fish poached in olive oil. The result is tremendous – flavourful fish, succulent and ever so subtle olive oil flavour with the fish.

For this recipe to work, one has to submerge your fish fillets in olive oil. That could be a lot of oil but the good thing is that after cooking the fish, you can reuse the olive oil for cooking or frying. There is NO fish smell at all!

I’ve paired the fish with an equally interesting smashed potato dish that uses no butter and the potatoes have some texture, the addition of Brussels Sprout leaves, scallions and parsley.

The fat is olive oil (instead of butter) and the two complemented each very well with a very flavourful Med sauce that’s an amp’ed up Greek olive oil/lemon sauce.

Kali Orexi!

Cod Poached in Olive Oil With Smashed Potatoes

(serves 4)

4 fillets of fresh cod (halibut, haddock loin, grouper)

salt and pepper

extra virgin olive oil

4 tsp. capers for garnish

Med Fish Dressing

1. For your smashed potatoes, place your potatoes in a pot and fill with cold water to cover by an inch. Turn up the heat to medium, season the water with chicken or vegetable bouillon (usually 1 tsp per cup of water) and simmer until potatoes are fork tender.
2. While the potatoes are simmering, you can prepare your Med fish dressing by adding the ingredients into a bowl and whisk together to blend. Set aside.
3. Add the brussels sprouts on top of the potatoes, simmer for another minute. Place a strainer over a bowl (to catch the stock) and drain.
4. Place the potatoes and sprouts back in the pot, add your scallions, olive oil and smash with a wooden spoon while stirring. If desired, add some of the reserved stock and stir in. Adjust taste with salt and pepper.
5. To olive oil poach your fish, ensure the fillets have been rinsed and patted-dry. Choose a pot that will snugly fit your fillets in it then pour about 1 inch of of olive oil in and turn the heat onto medium-low. Place an oil or candy thermometer in the oil heat to  temperature of 210F (the oil should be just quivering).
6. Carefully lower your fish into the oil and poach the fish for approx. 6 minutes or until it turns opaque. Use a slotted spoon or spatula to remove the fish from the oil.
7. Divide and serve the potatoes with a poached fish on top and spoon over Med sauce and capers.

© 2021, Peter Minaki. All rights reserved.

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