Cod with creamy caper and tarragon sauce

Cod loin fillets are briefly pan-fried and then gently finished in the oven. The fish is served on a creamy sauce made with fish stock, capers and fresh tarragon, with the browned side facing upwards.

Serves: 4 people
Preparation: approximately 15 minutes
Cooking time: approximately 20 minutes
Total time: approximately 35 minutes

Ingredients

For the cod

• 4 skinless cod loin fillets of approximately 160–180 g each
• 1 tablespoon neutral oil or mild olive oil
• 20 g butter
• salt
• freshly ground white pepper

For the caper and tarragon sauce

• 25 g unsalted butter
• 25 g flour
• 250 ml light fish stock
• 50 ml double cream
• 2 tablespoons capers
• 1–2 teaspoons caper brine, to taste
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, to taste
• 1 tablespoon fresh tarragon
• salt
• freshly ground white pepper

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven
   Preheat the oven to 160 °C conventional heat.
2. Prepare the cod
   Pat the cod loin fillets thoroughly dry with kitchen paper. Season them lightly with salt and white pepper just before frying.
3. Prepare the sauce ingredients
   Drain the capers and reserve some of the brine. Finely chop the tarragon and squeeze the lemon. Measure out the fish stock and double cream.

Method

1. Make the sauce base
   Melt 25 g butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the flour and stir for approximately 2–3 minutes to make a smooth white roux, without allowing it to colour.
2. Add the stock
   Gradually add the fish stock, stirring until smooth before adding more. Bring the sauce gently to the boil and simmer for approximately 5 minutes so that the flour cooks completely. Then keep the sauce warm over very low heat.
3. Fry the cod
   Heat the oil in an ovenproof frying pan over medium-high heat. Place the cod loin fillets in the pan and fry them without moving for approximately 2–3 minutes, until the underside is lightly golden. Add 20 g butter and allow it to foam. Briefly baste the fish with the butter.
4. Finish cooking the cod
   Do not turn the fillets over. Place the ovenproof pan in the oven. If you are not using an ovenproof pan, place the fillets in an oven dish with the browned side facing upwards and spoon the butter from the pan around them. Cook the cod for approximately 6–10 minutes, depending on the thickness, until the thickest part has reached a core temperature of 63 °C. The fish should be just opaque and flake easily into large pieces.
5. Finish the sauce
   Stir the double cream into the warm sauce base and add the capers. Start with 1 teaspoon caper brine and 1 teaspoon lemon juice. Gently heat the sauce for another 1–2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the finely chopped tarragon. Taste and season further with white pepper and, if necessary, a little extra caper brine, lemon juice or salt.
6. Serve the cod
   Spoon the caper and tarragon sauce onto warm plates. Carefully place the cod loin fillets on the sauce with the browned side facing upwards. Serve immediately.