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    Cod & Potatoes in Rosemary Cream Sauce

    January 15, 2024

    There’s something about baked cod fish in an herbed cream sauce that feels like a meal you would order at a restaurant. We’re here to share that it’s just as easy to make at home!

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    Cod and Potatoes in Rosemary Cream Sauce sprinkled with parsley in a baking dish with a serving spoon
    Photography by Gayle McLeod

    An Easy Baked Cod Recipe That’s Packed With Lemon And Herbs

    This oven-roasted cod and potatoes with a lemony rosemary cream sauce is the perfect meal to celebrate spring. The zesty cream sauce combines mustard, capers, and chili flakes for a little extra zing. Our Radish Salad with Yogurt Dill Dressing pairs well with cod, or a delightfully simple side of Roasted Asparagus would be a nice accompaniment.

    Cod & Potatoes in Rosemary Cream Sauce with lemon and parsley

    What is Cod Fish?

    • Cod is many things. It is a mild white fish that tastes great in just about any preparation. Perhaps one of its best known preparations is in Fish & Chips, but is as delicious when baked, grilled, and steamed. For a more pared-down recipe, check out our Baked Cod.

    • We like to keep frozen cod on hand, pulling it from the freezer the day before we plan to cook it, and thawing it in the fridge on a plate. If we’re buying fresh from the grocery store, we make our best effort to cook it within a day or two of bringing it home.

    • Atlantic cod tends to be bigger than the Pacific varieties. As PNW natives, we’re more familiar with Alaskan cod. Either way, look for firm, white fish with a moist looking flesh.

    cod, potatoes, spices, parsley, butter, olive oil, cream, stock, rosemary, lemon juice & lemon zest in prep bowls

    Ingredients You’ll Need For This Baked Cod And Potatoes Recipe

    • Cod fillet – Ask your fishmonger for about a quarter of a pound of fish per person (this recipe serves four, and calls for a pound of cod). They will cut the fish into fillets for you at the market–just ask!

    • Yukon gold potatoes – We like Yukons for their thin skin and dense body that turns silky sweet when roasted until tender.

    • Heavy cream – This cream sauce gets an ultra flavor boost from rosemary and lemon with mustard, cayenne, and capers playing an important balancing act.

    diced potatoes tossed with olive oil, salt & pepper in a baking dish ready to be roasted in the oven
    shallots and garlic cooked in a skillet with butter and olive oil
    cream and stock being added to a skillet with shallots, garlic, olive oil and butter
    shallots, garlic, cream, stock, rosemary sprigs, lemon zest, lemon juice, mustard, cayenne, and capers in a skillet

    How to Make The Perfect Baked Cod With Roasted Potatoes

    This is a general overview of the recipe to get you started. The full instructions can be found in the Method section of our recipe.

    • Roast the potatoes. Get your oven nice and hot, cover the taters in oil, salt, and pepper and roast in a baking dish until tender. We also do a really great crispy version in our recipe for Rosemary Roasted Potatoes.

    • Make the cream sauce. Cook the aromatics in butter in a medium saucepan. Add the cream and all the good stuff, bring to a simmer and then reduce the heat to thicken.

    • Nestle the fish. Pull the potatoes out of the oven, and add the fish into the baking dish (a fish spatula could be very helpful here!), covering everything generously with the rosemary cream sauce and bake until the cod is flakey. You might be familiar with the fish nestling technique if you’ve made our Green Curry Salmon.

    roasted potatoes in a baking dish that were seasoned with salt and pepper
    rosemary cream sauce being stirred with a wooden spoon in a sauce pan
    raw cod being laid on top of roasted potatoes in a baking dish
    roasted potatoes topped with cod, covered in rosemary cream sauce in a baking dish ready to go in the oven

    More Flavorful Fish Recipes

    Cod and Potatoes in Rosemary Cream Sauce sprinkled with parsley in a baking dish with a serving spoon

    For more recipe inspiration you can follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Pinterest. Have you tried this recipe? We love when you share your meals. Tag us on Instagram using #themodernproper. Happy cooking!

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    Cod & Potatoes in Rosemary Cream Sauce

    Updated on January 15, 2024

    • Serves:  4
    • Prep Time:  15 min
    • Cook Time:  35 min
    • Calories:  544
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    Ingredients

    • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
    • 1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
    • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
    • ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
    • 2 tablespoons salted butter
    • 1 large shallot, chopped
    • 3 cloves garlic, minced
    • 1 cup heavy cream
    • ½ cup chicken or fish stock
    • 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
    • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
    • 2 tablespoons lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
    • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
    • ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
    • 2 tablespoons capers, drained
    • 1 pound cod fillet, cut into 4 pieces
    • 2 tablespoons minced flat leaf parsley (optional)

    Method

    1. Preheat the oven 450°F with a rack in the center position. Grease an 8x8-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon olive oil.

    2. Add the potatoes and toss with 1 tablespoon of the oil, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and the black pepper. Roast until tender, 20-25 minutes.

    3. Meanwhile, heat the butter and remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once the butter has melted add the shallot and cook, stirring, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute more.

    4. Add the cream, stock, rosemary sprigs, lemon zest, lemon juice, mustard, cayenne, and capers. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook until it begins to thicken, about 5 minutes.

    5. Sprinkle the cod all over with the remaining 1 teaspoon salt.

    6. Remove the potatoes from the oven, nestle in the fish and pour the sauce over the top. Bake uncovered until the fish is flakey, another 10-15 minutes.

    7. Sprinkle with parsley, if using, before serving.

    Nutrition Info

    • Per Serving
    • Amount
    • Calories 544
    • Protein 24 g
    • Carbohydrates 22 g
    • Total Fat 39 g
    • Dietary Fiber 3 g
    • Cholesterol 115 mg
    • sodium 1306 mg
    • Total Sugars 3 g

    Cod & Potatoes in Rosemary Cream Sauce

    Questions & Reviews

    Join the discussion below.

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    • Meghan

      Is there a dairy free substitute to the heavy cream in this recipe?

      You can try full fat canned coconut milk or a dairy free heavy cream substitute. Hope you enjoy Meghan.

    • Barbara

      My husband is not fond of cod or tilapia, is there another fish we could use instead.

      Whatever white fish you prefer should work. Halibut would be nice.

    • Angie

      Made this tonight and can’t stop talking about it! Served with roasted asparagus. Fantastic recipe!!

      Thanks Angie, we are so happy you enjoyed it!

    • Mary

      Beautifully formulated recipe yielded an absolutely delicious dish! I halved the recipe for the two of us, though I did use 6 oz cod fillets instead of the 4 oz cited, otherwise I followed the instructions to a tee. Can't wait to make again!

      Thanks Mary, we are so glad you loved it!

    • Denise

      This is a definite keeper. So good and very easy. I substituted cod for halibut.

      Thanks Denise, so happy you loved it!

    • Emilee

      So yummy and very easy!!! Full of flavor!

      Thanks Emilee, we are so glad you loved it!

    • Nicole

      100/10 this was so lovely, flavorful, and absolutely delicious!

      Thanks Nicole, we are so happy you loved it!