By Jess
Last updated on
5from18ratings
If I had a special segment on Paleo Grubs called Cooking for One, this recipe would be near the top of my list. Easy to make and quick to prepare, I often use this recipe when cooking for myself on a weeknight after work. Piccata, a common preparation for chicken and veal, also works very well with cod or any small flat fish such as sole or flounder. Capers and parsley nicely complement the mild fish in this simple and light recipe.
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I am absolutely IN LOVE with cod fish and always looking for good cod recipes. I have tried many over the years and this one is my absolute favorite.
How to Make Cod Piccata
To get started, rinse off the fish and pat it dry with a paper towel. Then dredge it in almond flour to evenly coat the fillet. Almond flour does not stick to fish as well as white flour does, so a few flakes may fall off while cooking. Have everything else prepared before you start cooking the fish, because it comes together very quickly. Make sure the oils, chicken broth, lemon juice and capers are ready to go.
To cook the fish, make sure to use a large skillet with plenty of room, and maintain a steady medium-high heat. This prevents the fish from becoming soggy and helps the crust to properly brown.
Once the fish is nicely browned, remove it to a plate so you can make the sauce. (You could also put the cod in the oven to keep it warm while the sauce is reducing.) Add the chicken broth, lemon, and capers to the same skillet that the fish was cooked in, and use a metal spatula to scrape all the good tasty browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Then let the sauce reduce by about half, and the meal is ready to enjoy.
Eating healthy whole foods is easier with straightforward recipes such as this cod piccata. I’ve made this recipe large enough to feed at least two people, but it is not hard to cut in half for a single serving. Great for a weeknight dinner, you could pair the cod with some fresh spring asparagus to complement the lemon and make it a well-rounded meal.
Ingredients
- 1 lb. cod fillets
- 1/3 cup almond flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp grapeseed oil, divided
- 3/4 cup chicken stock
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/4 cup capers, drained
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
Directions
- Stir the almond flour and salt together in a shallow bowl. Rinse off the fish and pat dry with a paper towel. Dredge the fish in the almond flour mixture to coat.
- Heat enough olive oil to coat the bottom of a large skillet over medium-high heat along with one tablespoon grapeseed oil. Working in batches, add the cod and cook for 2-3 minutes per side to brown. Remove to a plate and set aside.
- Add the chicken stock, lemon juice, and capers to the same skillet and scrape any browned bits off the bottom. Simmer to reduce the sauce by almost half. Remove from heat and stir in the remaining tablespoon of grapeseed oil.
- To serve, divide the cod onto plates, drizzle with the sauce, and sprinkle with parsley.
Servings
Serving Size
1
Servings/Recipe
4
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31 Comments
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You’re right, it’s the perfect weeknight meal – I just made chicken piccata this week myself. I can’t wait to try it with cod!
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It’s great with cod, I highly recommend trying it out to switch things up a bit!
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Hello – I am new to Paleo – Day 3 actually 🙂 Could I use Coconut flour instead of Almond Flour? Or is coconut flour used more in baking?
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Welcome to Paleo! Coconut flour is a bit too soft for this recipe, it is used more in baking.
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I’m wondering why you didn’t use ghee. As you heat Olive oil – the helpful antioxidants are destroyed, and you will make some trans fats.
I made this with ghee and it was amazing. Great point about using coconut flour.
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Thanks for that comment! I will use ghee as well.
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Hi Cindy, unfortunately you have been incorrectly informed about olive oil. For some reason, this idea that the antioxidants are destroyed & trans fats are created by heating has been floated around the internet & it is completely untrue. Scientific studies have proven that olive oil is just as good for you after heating than before. The only thing you have to watch out for is the lower smoking point of olive oil. Any oil cooked past it’s smoking point will be bad for you.
Ghee is a great oil as proven by the thousands of people who use it on a daily basis. One thing to watch out for is ‘vegetable ghee’, which is a cheaper version made not made with butter. Apparently it has huge adverse qualities, to the point where it is illegal to be called ghee in India!
And of course, all oils & fats should be used in moderation, no more than 2 tablespoons a day is generally the rule of thumb unless your doctor says otherwise.
I know I can be annoying & I’m not trying to be rude at all. I just don’t like misinformation stopping people from using a perfectly good source of healthy fats. 🙂 So I’ll get off my soapbox now! 😉
Have a good day everyone!Reply
Thanks for that info. Good to know! Great recipe, and I use olive oil and a bit of vermouth.
Rating: 4
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I am new to using almond flour does this have a nutty flavor?
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Wow! Thank you!! I made this w/ Yellow Fin Tuna last night (because it’s what I had on hand,) and subbed grapefruit for the lemon (just for fun.) It was Phenomenal!
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Could this be made with halibut?
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Excellent! I think I will make my fish much more like this, I used a nice Halibut fillet.
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I have been looking to increase fish in our diet and found this recipe after noticing my grocery had wild cod on sale. I made it tonight and, as someone suggested, replaced olive and grape seed oil with ghee. That is the only deviation I made. We both agreed that it was delicious! This is a keeper for sure!
Rating: 5
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Excellent, simple recipe. Cooking for myself so I used a single packet of frozen Pacific Cod from Costco. Reduced the recipe by 1/3. Since I’m doing Whole30 I left off the Grapeseed Oil and just used EVOO. Will definitely make again!
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Definitely one of my favorite ways to cook cod! Lighter than fried fish, but still rich and comforting (pure soul food for me).
Rating: 5
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This was delicious and so easy. I didn’t have any almond flour so I put some almonds in the food processer, ground them finely and added it to regular flour. This gave the flour a slightly nutty flavor. Ill definitely be making this often.
Rating: 5
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Absolutely to die for! I’ve made it many times and it’s always perfect
Rating: 5
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I was ready to order from Fresh off the hook until I saw they charge. $7.99 to deliver and I’m just not doing that. So I tried this. Delicious!!
Rating: 5
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It is a keeper. Put it on top of spinach
Rating: 5
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We are not paleo — so we maybe added some butter — but the proportions were perfect. Saving this for future reference! We usually have all of these ingredients on hand. Frozen cod has been a pantry changer.
Rating: 5
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Insanely delicious and healthy! The perfect amount of lemon. Served with roasted root vegetables and they benefited from the lemony sauce as well. A keeper!
Rating: 5
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This recipe turned out amazing. I cooked the fish 3 minutes each side and to speed up the process made the drizzle in another pan so they would be done at the same time. The fish was crisp and the drizzle had such robust flavor. Highly recommend.
Rating: 5
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This was very very good. We cooked as noted. I was recently told to move to
Mediterranean diet and this recipe fit the bill. We will be making it again!Rating: 4.5
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I tried this as a simple quick dinner tonight. I am currently on an elimination diet so I substituted the almond flour with rice flour and did not have any chicken broth so I used water and a bouillon cube. I served it with brown rice and asparagus. It was amazing so yummy!
Rating: 5
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I tried the recipe and it was very easy to do and delicious!!!. The only change I made was that I used ghee instead of olive oil. It was amazing
Rating: 4.5
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Made this for dinner this evening and it was delicious! Great tip about having all ingredients ready. I do that most of the time now! Another recipe for the dinner rotation!
Rating: 5
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We’ve just made and eaten this recipe for the second time. It is absolutely delicious. I don’t follow a paleo diet and used whole wheat flour this time and subbed veg stock for the chicken. Still delicious. Can’t go wrong with this recipe.
Rating: 5
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Very good and so easy to make. I used ghee in place of the grape seed oil like some people suggested; made this in the iron skillet. Served over mashed potatoesI
Rating: 5
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Adding shallots during sautéing. Shallots make everything yummier
Rating: 5
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Great idea! Will need to try that next time.
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Love all the helpful comments. I am going to try this tonight. I did chicken piccata last week with Meyer lemons and I am anxious to try it next with the cod.
Rating: 4
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