Pan-fried cod with yuzu butter sauce brings together crisp, golden fish and a rich citrus butter that smells incredible the moment it hits the pan. Sweet turnips, silky kale, and bursts of yuzu create a dish that feels restaurant-special yet deeply comforting.
Prep:25 minutes
Cook:25 minutes
Serves:Serves 4
Dietary:Egg-free, Nut-free
By Adam SmithFrom Saturday Kitchen Recipes
This pan-fried cod with yuzu butter sauce earns a Nutri-Score C. The cod provides lean protein, while kale and turnips add fibre and micronutrients. The butter and cream increase saturated fat, so this dish suits balanced, occasional indulgence.
Equipment
Ingredients
For the turnips
- 100g salted butter
- 3 large turnips, peeled, some cut into batons
- 25ml apple cider vinegar
For the cod
- 1kg Cornish cod, cut into 4 pieces
- 4 tbsp mild curry powder
- 2 tbsp rapeseed oil
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- Salt
For the yuzu butter sauce
- 3 banana shallots, finely chopped
- 200ml yuzu sake
- 150ml double cream
- 250g cold butter, cubed
- 100ml yuzu juice
- 1 lemon, zest and juice
- 1 lime, zest only
- 50g yuzu zest, chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh dill
- 1 tbsp fresh chives
- 4 tbsp trout roe
For the kale
- 200g curly kale
- 2 handfuls variegated kale
- 4 garlic cloves
- 50ml rapeseed oil
- Salt and black pepper
Customise
- Swap cod for haddock or pollock for a similar flaky texture.
- Replace yuzu juice with a mix of lemon and mandarin if needed.
Method
- Start with the turnips. Melt the butter gently, add the chopped turnips, and let them cook until deeply golden. That colour means flavour. Deglaze with vinegar, crush lightly, and keep warm.
- Season the cod. Sprinkle salt and curry powder evenly over the fish. Keep it simple. This step can happen while the turnips cook.
- Pan-fry the cod. Heat oil until shimmering, lay the cod in carefully, and let it cook undisturbed. Flip once golden, finish with lemon juice, then rest off the heat.
- Build the yuzu butter sauce. Reduce the yuzu sake to a syrup, soften the shallots, add cream, then whisk in butter slowly. Take your time here. Finish with citrus zest, herbs, and trout roe.
- Cook the greens. Warm the reserved butter, soften the garlic, then add curly kale until just tender. Blanch the variegated kale separately and dress with a sharp vinaigrette.
- Plate with confidence. Turnips first, then greens, cod on top, and plenty of yuzu butter sauce. Finish with kale salad and edible flowers.