France · Fish and Seafood Dishes · Quick

Cod Meunière

Name: Cod Meunière
Prep time: 12 min
Cook time: 28 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 3 servings
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 600 g cod fillet; 4 tbsp wheat flour; 50 g unsalted butter; 1 tbsp olive oil; 3 piece garlic cloves; 1 piece lemon; 1 fresh parsley

A classic French technique where cod fillets are lightly floured, pan-fried in butter and olive oil, then finished with a nutty brown butter sauce with lemon and garlic — one of the finest ways to cook delicate white fish.

40 min 300 kcal 3 serves Medium⚡Quick🇫🇷France★★★★★4.8· 5 reviews

Ingredients

ServingsMetric

600 gcod fillet
4 tbspwheat flour
50 gunsalted butter
1 tbspolive oil
3 piecegarlic cloves
1 piecelemon
1 fresh parsley

Note from Sergei

Sergei Martynov

“Cod meunière is proof that the simplest French techniques produce the most extraordinary results. A light flour dusting, a hot pan with foaming butter, and the courage to leave it alone until perfectly golden — that's really all there is to it. The magic happens in the last 30 seconds when you add fresh butter to the pan and let it turn nutty brown, then hit it with a squeeze of lemon. That beurre noisette — brown butter — is one of the greatest sauces in all of cooking, and it takes no special skill to make. Just attention. The lemon cuts through the richness and makes every bite feel bright and alive.”

Use clarified butter or a mix of butter and oil for the initial searing, then add fresh whole butter at the very end for the sauce — this gives you high-heat searing without burning, plus the full nutty flavor of brown butter.

Method

Thoroughly pat cod fillets dry on all sides. Season generously with salt and pepper.
Pour flour into a wide plate. Coat each piece of cod in a thin layer of flour, then tap to shake off all excess. The fish should be just lightly dusted.
Heat olive oil and half the butter in a large pan over medium heat. When the mixture starts to foam, carefully add the fish. Cook 3-4 minutes per side until golden. Transfer fish to a warm plate.
Reduce heat to minimum. Add remaining butter to the same pan. Once melted, add thinly sliced garlic and cook 30-40 seconds until fragrant. Watch as the butter turns golden-brown (beurre noisette).
Pour in the juice of half a lemon. It will sizzle and deglaze the pan. Cook, stirring, about 1 minute until the sauce thickens slightly. Remove from heat and stir in chopped parsley.
Immediately pour the hot sauce over the fish. Serve with lemon wedges.

FAQ

Cod is a delicate fish with large flakes that easily separate if cooked incorrectly. The main reasons: too little flour coating (doesn't hold the crust), pan not hot enough, or flipping too often. Dredge the fillet in flour right before cooking — not in advance, or the flour will absorb moisture and become soggy. Place the fish in a well-heated mixture of butter and olive oil and don't touch it for 3–4 minutes: the crust will seal the flakes together. Flip only once, using a wide spatula.

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Comments (1)

Sergei Martynov✍ Author
29d ago
The residual heat continues cooking the cod fillet for 2-3 minutes after you remove it from the pan. I pull my cod meunière when it looks slightly underdone in the center — it finishes perfectly on the plate.