Recipes > Cod Provençal
Cod is served with a Provençal bean ragout made from niçoise olives, jalapeño peppers, tomatoes and lima beans.
Dawn Thomas
- Serves: 4
- Active Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 30 mins
- Views: 123,240
- Success Rating: 94% (?)
Steps
Step 1: Cooking the Beans
- 4 cups water
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 3/4 cup fresh or frozen lima beans (can substitute with edamame beans)
Method
To start the beans, bring the water to a boil and add the salt. Add the lima beans to the boiling water and let cook for approximately 3 to 5 minutes.
If you are using fresh lima beans, the time will vary slightly. Once cooked, strain and place into an ice bath to stop the cooking process. Set aside while you prepare the fish.
Step 2: Cooking the Cod
- 1 tbsp coriander seeds
- 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
- 4 cod fillets (or halibut)
- kosher salt (to taste)
- freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
Method
Preheat the oven to 350° degrees Fahrenheit.
Roughly crush the coriander seeds and then mix together with the panko breadcrumbs.
Season both sides of the fish with salt and pepper to taste. Bread the presentation side of the fish with the panko.
Heat a medium-sized frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the oil and fry the cod, crust-side down, until golden brown. Once the crust has turned golden brown, gently flip the fish over. Transfer to an oven-proof plate and place into the oven. Bake for 5 to 10 minutes or until done. Cooking time will depend on the thickness of your fish.
While the fish is cooking, move on to the next step.
Step 3: Making the Ragout
- 1 tbsp olive oil (or grapeseed oil)
- 1 large garlic clove
- 1/2 tbsp jalapeño pepper (or serrano)
- 4 whole tomatoes
- 1/3 cup niçoise olives (or kalamata)
- 3/4 cup dry white wine
- 6 whole basil leaves
- 1/4 tsp grey salt
- 1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 tbsp capers
Method
Finely chop the garlic and jalapeño (remove the ribs and seeds for less heat). Core and dice the tomatoes and roughly chop the olives.
Heat a fry pan over medium-high heat and add the oil. Fry the garlic and jalapeño for about 30 seconds and then add the lima beans, tomatoes, olives and capers. Let cook for about 30 seconds. Next, add the wine, bring to a boil and let it reduce by about half. Once the fish is ready, add the basil to the sauce. Spoon a few tablespoons of the sauce over each piece of fish and serve.
Chef's Notes
- by Dawn Thomas
- •
- March 6, 2007
This medley of flavors is actually quick to make and would be a delicious weekday family meal. Serve with rice, pasta or couscous. The bean ragout is even good on it’s own along with crusty French bread!
This ragout can also be served with halibut, red snapper or tilapia. In fact, it would be good with chicken or even served over fresh pasta.
36 Comments
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I make it almost every week now but because I have a gluten free diet I make polenta with it instead and pan-fry my fish in corn meal. Very yummy. -
I made this lil gem on the weekend but i used halibut instead! The panko kicks ass -what a quick and delish way to cook fish!
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I thought this was absolutely delicious, but I certainly think that two jalapenos would work! Maybe I cooked mine for too long and the spice went away, but I thought this needed that extra bite. Regardless, it was delicious!
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With over 50 kilos of Queen Charlotte Islands white fish, including a lot of ling cod, this recipe is just perfect. The recipe does well with halibut and yelloweye rockfish (red snapper) as well. Very tasty and healthy. -
I had a great time making this recipe but it required a lot of quick work. I never got around to doing the suggested couscous. With a bit more preparation on my part this will be a great one for having people over. -
Terrific recipe! The coriander is wonderful with the panko cumbs. I precooked the ragout (minus the basil) then simply cooked the fish after guests arrived. The coucous I used is finer than the courser grain pictued here. Are they different?Where can I find Middle Eastern Coucous?
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Most specialty food shops will carry middle eastern couscous. Here is a Drill-down to explain the differences between the many varieties of couscous (cut and paste the address into your explorer bar). In Vancouver we pick it up at the Grainery on Granville Island or at Galloways. http://rouxbe.com/tips-techniques/62 -
I used this recipe this week and was very happy with the results. It's the perfect combination of flavors! Thank you.
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Lovely with the recipe but I don't think I can get this nice couscous over here in Barcelona! what is the liquid added ? somekind of broth ? vídeo is too fast for me.. as far as I can see 1. fry onion 2. add couscous 3.pour liquid ? 4. add chives. is that it ? thks for help to anyone who knows
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There are text recipes that go with all videos. Here is the one for the couscous. http://rouxbe.com/recipes/62/text And here is the one for the whole cod dish. http://rouxbe.com/recipes/61/text As for the couscous I am sure that you could order it online. Where abouts are you in Barcelona? (I was a Nanny there when I was younger). Hope that helps. If you have anymore questions feel free to ask. -
Thks so much Dawn. I live outside Barcelona near the sea but if I go shopping "downtown" I go to the center. Maybe I can find this pearl couscous in the store of "El Corte Inglés " do you remember it ? by the way in which area did you stay ? hope you enjoyed your stay
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Had been wanting to try this recipe for a very very long time and finally went for it. With a bit of prep (and I mean a bit - easy peasy), I pulled this one off to the raving delights of my fiancee and two of our guests who are rather finicky and have come to expect quality meals from my kitchen. Especially on a night like New Year's Eve. They raved and raved about it and I was overly pleased with it myself - particularly the ease of the cod (black BC) which I had never worked with nor eaten before. I will be doing this one again for many more again. I must admit I added about a tablespoon of doppio (Italian tomato paste) to give the ragout a little boost because tomatoes are rather placid and bland this time of year. Not too much however, or I imagine it will overpower the dish. And finally, I cooked the cous cous in this years Christmas turkey stock and the muted hint of rosemary was a wonderful contrast to the fresh basil. -
This was the first recipe we made from the Rouxbe sight and it was definitely a winner. It convinced us to experiment with more recipes from the site and every one has been over the top amazing. This dish was perfectly put together and the ragout over the top of the fish was just delicious. We used a bit more coriander to the panko than the recipe called for to give it a little more crunch and flavor. We also prefer quinoa to couscous as it has more flavor and is a complete protein. Other than that, the recipe itself yields picture worthy results. -
I shook the saute pan a bit while the cod was down, and this dislodged some of the breading; so . . . . in future, don't do that
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We really enjoyed this recipe. I had ragout left over and so a few days later we stir fried it with some more garlic and red onion and served it on pasta for a really delicious lunch. -
There is clearly a good dish here but I just can't seem to nail it, something seems off. I think it's the couscous - either I just don't like the texture or I am not doing it right. I used the larger "grande" or "pearls" type but I'm not used to this so I don't know how to gage it. It seems too springy and separate. Not that they are too firm, I've tried cooking them several times with different amounts of liquid but I keep getting nearly identical results. Are they supposed to become creamy or is this how they are supposed to be and I just don't care for it? I might try the suggested polenta... I did love the heat with the fish... -
Sounds like it may just be a texture thing with the couscous. If you are using the larger couscous you will not be able to obtain a creamy texture with this. Remember that couscous is a pasta and not a grain. For more information on couscous and the different types watch this Drill-down called "What is Couscous?". It could just be that couscous (at least the large type) is not your thing. I say either try the smaller version or go for the polenta as you mentioned. Hope this helps!
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Any ideas for a non alcoholic substitute for the white wine. I was thinking tomato liquid from canned tomatoes and lemon or whit wine vinegar. Other liquids maybe: clam juice, seafood stock? Any suggestions ... -
You are thinking along the right lines Omar. White wine vinegar and lemon juice or combination would work for sure. I would suggest cutting this with about half liquid as well, such as stock (any kind) or water as the vinegar would be a bit too acidic. Hope this helps. Cheers,
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I am a 52 yr old physician who has spent too much time studying and has essentially never cooked. I thought it was time to learn. I will sign up to this site for a year when my 7 day free trial ends. I like the explanations about the knives and the greek salad was great...I was off to a good start. And then I tried the cod. I was stressed. The garlic was hard to dice; it was so small. The cod tasted slimy even though it flaked apart and seemed done. Worse of all when I added the wine into the pan of oil, garlic, and pepper, I started a huge fire that rose about two to three feet. Fortunately, it went out in a few seconds but scared my 8 yr. old. I'm trying. The ragot tasted pretty good. I hope I get better. -
have cooked this wonderful meal twice and both times it was a hit with my friends. It has that true Mediterranean flavor. The first time I used regular couscous and second time I used Israeli (Ptitim, pearl) couscous. Israeli couscous gives this dish more interesting texture; it is not creamy, but pearly (if I can say so). Interesting detail about how the Israeli couscous came about. The story goes that in the fifties, when the food in Israel was scarce they came up with the idea to manufacture a substitute for rice, which was in very short supply during that time of rationing. It therefore came as a shock to many Israelis when this humble staple made its way to the trendiest restaurants in New York and London.
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Think of cooking as an extension of what you do as a physician. Both are life sustaining. With practice and patience you WILL get better. Try not to stress out over the end result and just enjoy the process. Remember, missteps in the kitchen are bound to occur, but no one is going to file a law suit over it! Have fun in the kitchen and laugh with your daughter over your mistakes. You are giving her something just as valuable as a vaccine: the love of good, wholesome homecooked meals! If you can make it through medical school, you can make it through cooking school! Let us know how you are progressing. -
This sounds delicious, but I don't care for lima beans. Suggestions for substitutes, please. What would you think of haricots verts?
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You can substitute or leave the beans out all together, it's up to you. I have used edamame beans in the past and they were very nice. Here is a good resource for food substitutions. Cheers!
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What I appreciate most is the part of the video that shows how to test the cod for doneness. Knowing when white fish is done is very difficult for me. Our fish came out perfectly. I think the reason for breading and frying one side but not the other is for presentation, is it not? It certainly was beautiful. I wonder what is the advantage of baking it after, as opposed to frying both sidesÉ The flavour base for the ragu reminds me of Snapper Veracruz. I didn't think Snapper Veracruz would taste good-I don't mean to offend the chef who thought it up, excuse me--my inexperience prevented me from imagining how these flavours would meld together. Because of that success, I knew Cod Provençal would be a hit in our household and I am right! Even the dog, Roxy, kept circling the kitchen because she liked the smell of the fish. But I also suspect she was snooping for some fish tidbits that may have fallen onto the floor. No luck for her--we devoured this plate and decided it was a real winner. Thanks Rouxbe! -
That is supposed to be "sides?" (French keyboard)
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So glad that you liked the recipe. Also, we are glad that you found the techniques in the recipe to be helpful. To answer your questions: The fish is placed in the oven because the surround heat helps it to cook quickly and evenly. ; The reason the fish is fried only on the one side and then flipped over is because that is the presentation-side. For more info and techniques on cooking fish there are a few lessons on cooking fish. The lesson on
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Tomatos, black olives, capers, basil, white wine. This ragout is a winner. Worked with chicken pretty well. But with cod, it was perfect. I was a bit afraid the richness of the ragout would overwhelm the delicate flavor of the cod, but it actually matched pretty well. -
Made this tonight for dinner, and totally messed up. I used stainless steel pan, and the crust was burnt and turned black in like 1 minute. Maybe this recipe was better using non-stick pan? Also I used frozen cod. The texture and taste was just off. I am going to try to do this recipe again with non-stick pan and fresh cod, and see how that turns out. -
Good for you for realizing where you went wrong rather than maybe blaming the recipe. Indeed, you should try this recipe again using fresh and not frozen fish as this is likely most certainly where things went wrong. Before you make it again I would suggest that you watch the lesson on Pan Frying Fish. Good luck and let us know how it goes. Cheers!
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This is my first post so here goes. Can you confirm that lima beans are what we call butter beans in the UK? All the butter beans I have found in the supermarket are white which probably won't make the dish look so good, would broad beans work instead and if frozen isn't available would canned work just as well? Thanks in advance Diane -
According to wikipedia, both lima and butter beans are in the same classification: Phaseolus lunatus. "The term butter bean is widely used for a large, flat and white variety of lima bean. However, oftentimes "butter bean" only refers to a fresh or mealy textured bean. ". . . In culinary use, lima beans and butter beans are distinctly different, the former being small and green, the latter large and yellow. In areas where both are considered to be lima beans, the green variety may be labeled as "baby" limas." For this recipe we are referring to the small green lima beans. As mentioned in a previous comment, you can certainly make substitutions. Hope this helps. Cheers!
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This is delicious! I used fava beans as they are in season and served the dish over saffron rice. I did substitute for white wine vinegar. I wish I would have read the comments about cutting the vinegar quantities in half if substituting for white wine. It was almost a little too strong; almost being the key word because the dish was wonderful. Thank you! -
Rouxbe Staff
Glad you liked it Brooke. Next time it will be even better... ~Ken -
This a great ragout - very flavorful. I can see that it would be good with other things - like chicken or maybe even as a vegetable side by substituting limas for green beans.
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Thank you Elizabeth - excellent comments. I agree fully - this is indeed a great ragout and would lend itself well to many other applications! Thank you for learning with Rouxbe! All the best, Chef Kirk
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