Cod is a very delicate, tender fish. Once it's cooked in a simmering milk bath with garlic, butter and slivers of sweet winter greens (like collards, mustards or kale) it becomes smooth and silky. This Milk Poached Cod is perfect for National Milk Day too (which is January 11th)

You can make this restaurant-quality dish in 20 minutes or less! Flaky cod is bathed in a buttery milk broth and simmered with fresh greens, roasted red peppers (for color!) and minced garlic for a light, quick dinner. Technically, it's a soup because of the broth, but I just call it delicious.

Are you ready for this incredibly simple meal that will be ready in the blink of an eye? I thought so.
A little bit of chopping and one pot is all you need to get it done.

A few recipe notes:

Easily substitute coconut or nut-based milk for a richer flavor.
Firm-fleshed fish and seafood like sea bass, swordfish, halibut, scallops and shrimp are also great substitutes.
15 minutes on LOW pressure in an Instant Pot will pull this dish together in a snap.
Sauté the garlic and greens together first for a deeper, richer flavor
Most any green can be used in place of collards: kale, mustard, turnip, beet, chard, watercress, arugula, radicchio and even carrot tops can change up the flavor and texture of the dish.

I used to be a private chef for a family and I developed this dish when I worked for them. The matriarch of the family was in poor health and didn't have much joy in life except for food. She enjoyed restaurant-quality meals and I tried my best to produce them. And this was one of those dishes. Overall, it is about the presentation, but the simple flavors are best matched with very fresh, high-quality ingredients. If you use old odds and ends of food because you will taste it because there are so few ingredients.

In the past, I would take a yearly winter blog hiatus of about 3 months. But in the spirit of minding my own black business, I'm making it a personal goal to thug it out and soldier on through the winter to bring you recipes that inspire me and make me want to make you want to eat. My blog is not the sum of its parts as is just a small fraction (gahhh, I hate math!) of my little multimedia business over here. So whether you're a long-time fan, a first-time reader (hi!), an email subscriber (thank you!) or a repeat offender (two thumbs up), I appreciate you!

SO—Open up that menu planner of yours (you know you got one for Christmas. Go ahead. Break it out) and put down this recipe for you and your family to enjoy this week or next.

Milk Poached Cod With Winter Greens

Yield: 4

Author: Nikki Miller-Ka of Nik Snacks

You can make this restaurant-quality dish in 20 minutes or less! Flaky cod is bathed in a buttery milk broth and simmered with fresh greens, roasted red peppers and minced garlic for a light, quick dinner. Technically, it's a soup because of the broth, but I just call it "ahhh-delicious."

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 roasted red pepper, julienne
4 Tablespoons butter, unsalted
4 1/2 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
4 cod fillets (1/2 lb each)
4 cups collard greens, ribs and stems removed, leaves chopped fine, like chiffonade
Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

Sprinkle salt and pepper on each side of the cod fillets and set aside.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté the roasted red peppers and garlic, until tender, about 2 minutes.
Add the butter, milk, and ½ teaspoon salt to the skillet and bring to simmer. Gently place the fillets into the milk broth. Cook for 5 minutes. Flip with a slotted spoon or fish spatula and cook for another 3-5 minutes, until the fish flakes.
Remove the fillets from the broth and place each in a wide soup bowl.
Add the greens to the skillet. Continue cooking until the greens turn bright green and are crisp tender, about 5-7 minutes. Evenly spoon the broth with the greens and peppers into each bowl.
Serve.

Notes:

Easily substitute coconut or nut-based milk for a richer flavor.
Firm-fleshed fish and seafood like sea bass, swordfish, halibut, scallops and shrimp are also great substitutes.
Most any green can be used in place of collards: kale, mustard, turnip, beet, chard, watercress, arugula, radicchio and even carrot tops can change up the flavor and texture of the dish.

Calories

573.32

Fat (grams)

26.70

Sat. Fat (grams)

12.25

Carbs (grams)

26.89

Fiber (grams)

7.99

Net carbs

18.90

Sugar (grams)

2.03

Protein (grams)

58.15

Sodium (milligrams)

660.89

Cholesterol (grams)

160.75

Please consult a healthcare professional or dietician about nutritional needs for your diet. I am a communications professional, not a physician.

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ShelbyJanuary 30, 2015 at 8:19 AM
This looks and sounds absolutely delicious! I'm still on my health kick :) Been going strong and don't intend to quit! I will have to try this recipe out, Grumpy's favorite fish is cod, so I am happy to have a new recipe that I can make for him!
ArisuchanJanuary 30, 2015 at 4:34 PM
This looks really great actually and I can see this soup in my near future! Thanks for sharing!
Ethel @eatingininsteadJanuary 31, 2015 at 1:45 PM
Yum! This is totally up my alley. I'm going to try it with coconut milk! Congrats on your 400th post!