You know what goes well with nearly everything, whether sweet or savory? Brown butter. One recent example is the brown butter roasted garlic mac & cheese that blessed last year's Friendsgiving and Thanksgiving feasts. Another is my brown butter vanilla cake with salted caramel frosting. Just. so. good. Butter makes everything better and brown butter takes just two minutes to make so it's totally worth the effort. Today, we're talking about a super simple savory dish that you can have for dinner tonight in just about 20 minutes: brown butter cod with capers. This little number will have you feeling very chef like in a snap!
To make this dish, you simply bake your cod (other whitefish would work, too) and while that cooks, brown your butter in a skillet. Once the cod is ready, pour the capers and brown butter over top and devour. You might have to let it cool a bit first but you get the idea. 🙂 Brown butter has a deep, nutty flavor and capers provide a tanginess that perfectly complements fish. In this case, they also help to balance out the richness of the brown butter. Let this easy little dish get you out of any dinner time rut that may arise. Just add some veggies or salad, and you're in business. My mom raised us with "balanced plates" for dinner every night, which meant a protein, one or more types of veggie, and a starch, so, if you're the same way, add some potatoes, pasta, or rice for good measure. 🙂
If you like this brown butter cod with capers recipe and are in the market for more heart-healthy omega 3s via easy fish dishes, check out my simple seared salmon and naked pasta. Thanks for reading!
More Easy Dinner Ideas:
Brown Butter Cod with Capers
Ingredients
- 8 ounce cod filet
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon capers
- sea salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- 1 lemon wedge
- olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Make a packet for the cod filet using a sheet of foil and drizzle a bit of olive oil on the bottom of the packet.
- Pat cod filet dry, season each side with sea salt and black pepper then place in foil packet. Drizzle a little more olive oil over top of filet before sealing packet. Place in oven and bake for about 10 minutes per inch of filet thickness. When cooked, filet will be opaque and glossy, firm to touch, and should flake easily with a fork.
- Meanwhile, heat butter in a small saucepan or skillet. After it melts, cook for another minute or so to brown it. Butter should emit a toasty, nutty aroma and you will see solids forming. Add capers and remove from heat.
- Pour brown butter and capers over cod filet. Serve with a squeeze of lemon.
Lee says
I love capers but I have never been sure how to use them in a meal other than on smoked Salmon. This is giving me a great idea for dinner!
Lee
wine and couture
Bethany Ross says
This would be totally out of my comfort zone but I think I’ll give this a shot! We live in the Midwest so, unfortunately, we don’t have the best access to fresh seafood but I’m going to look around and see what I can find!! Looks amazing!!
Susannah says
I'll eat anything with brown butter! Yum!
Emily says
I don’t cook a ton of fish, but this looks simple and tasty!
Lisa says
Perfect recipe for lent! Going to try this friday! I hope mine looks as good as yours!
Theresa Bailey says
I love this recipe! I'm always struggling with what to do when I cook cod.
Melody says
This looks amazing !! Can’t go wrong with butter or capers
pam says
Just cooked this dish and it is absolutely delicious!! The brown butter and capers transformed the cod. Restaurant quality. Thank you! I look forward to trying your other dishes😃
Jazz says
Thanks so much, Pam--I'm glad you enjoyed it! May I suggest you try my garlic butter shrimp & scallops next?
Maritra says
Using a thermometer for the poached Cod. At What temp Fahrenheit will the cod be coocked
Jazz says
Hi Maritra! The cod should reach 145 degrees on a food thermometer.