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Cod & Potatoes in Rosemary Cream Sauce

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

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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

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Cod & Potatoes in Rosemary Cream Sauce

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

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
  • Calories544
  • Protein24 g
  • Carbohydrates22 g
  • Total Fat39 g
  • Dietary Fiber3 g
  • Cholesterol115 mg
  • sodium1306 mg
  • Total Sugars3 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.

  • 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!

  • Monique

    I read and try lots of recipes as I love to cook. I never leave reviews but had to for this recipe. This was one of the best fish . . . . no, overall . . . recipes I have ever tried! This was so delicious. I want to make this cream sauce for chicken and vegetables but the fish was perfect. Thank you for this recipe!

    Thanks Monique, we are so glad you loved it!!

  • Deborah

    Great and I give it a 5 star rating, thank you.

    Thanks Deborah, so happy you loved it!

  • Sydney

    This is my second time making this recipe and it turns out so lovely. For my second make, I subbed for chicken that I dredged in flower and fried off and added to oven to finish along with the sauce and potatoes. The sauce broke out of the oven so we’ll have to work on that next time.

    Thanks Sydney, so happy you loved it!