Panfried Cod with Ratatouille and Lemon Butter Sauce
Make this French summertime classic, Cod with Ratatouille. Eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, bell pepper, and garlic make a savory base for cod.
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Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients
For The Cod
- 1 1/2 pounds cod fillets, or halibut
- 1 medium lemon
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For The Ratatouille
- 1 1/2 pounds tomatoes
- 6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 large eggplant, diced
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt, divided
- 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 large red bell pepper, diced
- 2 medium zucchini or yellow squash, diced
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
- 1/2 cup chopped Italian parsley, plus more for garnish
For The Lemon Butter Sauce
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 1 tablespoon fresh-squeezed lemon juice
- 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Rinse and pat dry cod and season both sides with the 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Thinly slice the lemon and layer slices between fish fillets. Cover and refrigerate while you make the ratatouille.
- Cut tomatoes in half horizontally and gently squeeze to remove seeds. Coarsely chop tomatoes and set aside.
- Heat 4 tablespoons oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Once shimmering, add eggplant and season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until eggplant has reduced to half its size and become succulent and tender, about 10 minutes, then remove from skillet.
- Return pan to medium-high heat. Add remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the pan, once hot add onions and season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook until starting to brown then add garlic and bell pepper. Continue cooking until pepper starts to soften, then add zucchini and season again with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
- Once zucchini is starting to brown, add tomatoes, eggplant, rosemary, and bay leaf and lower heat to low. Simmer until all vegetables are tender and stewed, about 30 minutes, stirring frequently and scraping the bottom of the pan to get any browned bits off the bottom. Stir in parsley.
- While vegetables are cooking, make the lemon-butter sauce. Combine the 8 tablespoons butter, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest, 2 teaspoons chopped rosemary, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper in a small skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Whisk until smooth. Taste and add more salt or lemon juice if needed. Keep warm.
- To cook the cod, heat the 3 tablespoons oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Once shimmering, remove the lemon slices and add the fish fillets to the hot oil. Cook, without disturbing, until browned on one side, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook until fish easily flakes when pressed with a finger. You may need to do this in batches, depending on the size of your skillet.
- Taste ratatouille and add more salt and pepper if necessary.
- Spoon ratatouille onto plates, place a piece of fish on top of the ratatouille and drizzle the butter sauce over everything, garnish with more chopped parsley, and serve with crusty bread on the side.
Notes
- Serving suggestions: This is really a meal on its own. I like to serve some good crusty bread on the side. If you want something more substantial, serve with steamed rice, my crockpot brown rice, couscous, or farro.
- Cod. If you are using frozen cod, be sure to let it thaw completely then pat dry really well with paper towels to get out all the excess moisture.
- Make it spicy! Add red pepper flakes to the ratatouille for some kick or drizzle each plate with a little chili oil before serving.
- Make-ahead: The ratatouille and butter sauce can be made up to 3 days in advance. Reheat both, separately, over low heat until warmed through.