Baked cod in lemon cream sauce is one of those recipes that looks considerably more effort than it is. A thick piece of cod, a quick sauce built in the dish itself, twelve minutes in the oven — and you have something genuinely good on the table. The capers and shallots do the heavy lifting on flavour; the lemon keeps it bright. Serve over mashed potato, and it becomes a proper dinner.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 thick piece of cod, or 3 smaller pieces (approximately ½ inch thick)
- Knob of butter
- 1 garlic clove, crushed and finely chopped
- 2 shallots, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- Cooking cream
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- A little lemon zest
- Small handful of capers, rinsed
- Sea salt and white pepper
Method for baked cod in lemon cream sauce
Preheat the oven to 190°C.
In a microwave and oven-proof dish, combine the butter, cream, garlic, mustard, lemon juice, salt, and white pepper. Microwave in two 30-second bursts, stirring between each, until melted and smooth. Stir in the capers.
Nestle the cod pieces into the sauce. Scatter the shallots over the top and spoon some of the sauce over the fish to coat it well.
Bake for approximately 12 minutes until the fish is just cooked through and flakes easily. Don't overdo it — cod turns dry quickly past the point of doneness.
Serve over creamy mashed potato, scattered with freshly chopped parsley and a little lemon zest.
BAKED COD IN LEMON CREAM SAUCE – THE FLEXIBLE CHEF'S NOTES
Any thick white fish works here – hake, haddock, or pollock. Avoid oily fish; they won't sit well in the cream sauce. The microwave step for the sauce is genuinely useful — it comes together in under two minutes and means one less pan. If you don't have cooking cream, a mix of crème fraîche and a splash of milk works well.
For another simple fish supper, try my Stir Fry Monkfish Tail.
This recipe is part of the Fish Hub — browse the full collection for more fish and seafood recipes.
This baked cod recipe is also featured in my French Recipes, a collection of French recipes from a former Limousin restaurateur — confit, braises, fish, gratins, and van life French cooking from Casa Adora and the road.
Find more recipes and food adventures here.
Wonky photos, proper food, genuine adventures — The Flexible Chef
