It's been ages since I've eaten white fish. The Pacific North West is so rich with wild salmon, that's pretty much the only fish I've eaten in years. Well, aside from the canned sardines that make a frequent feature on my lunch plate, that is.
But I'm really excited to tell you about this recipe. You see it isn't just teen verified, but marked with the teen seal of approval for "gobble-it-up without eye-rolling and then ask for more status". Accolade indeed!
With its lightly crispy crust hiding the tenderest flesh inside, lime-crusted cod is already a heavenly treat. However the tangy, punchy warm olive vinaigrette alongside makes it really exciting. You're never going to believe this is the stuff of healing diets!
In case you're wondering, I tested the recipe with cassava flour as well. Whilst cassava also gives a lovely golden colour to the crust, tapioca flour won due to the welcome crispiness. I've opted for sustainably caught wild cod but you could use any firm white fish in its place.
Ready in a matter of minutes, be prepared for all the thumbs facing skywards!
Lime-Crusted Cod with a Warm Olive Vinaigrette
Serves 2
Print the recipe here!
2 tbsp tapioca flour
1 tsp garlic powder
zest of 2 small limes
small pinch fine sea salt
2 thick fillets of cod or other white fish, skin off
1 tbsp avocado oil, or other cooking fat
for the vinaigrette
1 large clove garlic, minced
juice of 2 small limes (4 tbsp)
2 tbsp black olives, chopped
1/2 cup olive oil
pinch fine sea salt
1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves
Be sure to get everything ready before you start cooking, this happens quickly.
Mix the tapioca flour, garlic powder, lime zest and salt in a small bowl and then tip out onto a large plate. Press the cod fillets into the seasoned flour, coating well on both sides.
Put the vinaigrette ingredients, apart from the cilantro, into a medium bowl and mix together well.
Heat the avocado oil in a large frying pan. When hot, add the fish presentation side down, and fry for around 3 minutes or so until golden brown. Turn the fillets over and pour the vinaigrette around. Allow to bubble for a further two or three minutes, or until the fish is just cooked. The precise timing will depend on the thickness of your fillets.
Stir the cilantro into the vinaigrette and serve immediately.
Thanks for this lovely recipe, which I will make post haste!
Any suggestions for sides? It is currently snowing here in Salt Lake City! But fall will reappear in a few days.
Hi Christine, I'm thinking cauli or celeriac mash, and sautéed greens such as bok choy, savoy cabbage or chard. If you've reintroduced green beans (stage 1) they would be lovely here.
Enjoy the fish, it's so good!
I made this for dinner tonight, I only had one small lime so I had a mix of lime and lemons, it was sooo delicious. The husband loved it and said you can make this again! The fish was so tender with a little crunch. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Sounds like you cooked it to perfection!
I'm so happy you enjoyed the recipe - and it's husband-approved too!
Thank you, Kate, for sharing your creative recipes. This recipe looks delicious! Can you suggest a substitution for the tapioca flour? I cannot find it here in Spain. Manioc flour/ starch definitely does not work . Do you think coconut flour might be a good substitute? Thanks!
Hi Mary, I also used cassava flour and thought it worked really well. I just preferred the tapioca. Living in Spain your cassava might be quite different to the Otto's that I used though. I'm not a fan of coconut flour used for this purpose but you could try a blend of coconut and arrowroot and see whether that works.
Would love to hear what does work for you?
For those who must also be low-FODMAP, any seasoning suggestion to replace the garlic?
You can just leave it out if you like. If you want to add something in, you could have extra lime zest, or a sprinkle of any (not too overpowering) dried herbs you have to hand. I get through loads of Herbes de Provence, that's my favourite.
I am almost 40 years old and I have never cooked fish...ever. I was determined to get fish into my diet and this was the first AIP recipe that really appealed to me. It did not disappoint!! I've made this 3 times in the last 3 weeks. It's so delicious. Thank you!!
I love this comment so much. Thank you for telling me. I'm thrilled you're enjoying fish, and my recipe was the one that inspired you to cook it.
You're welcome! I made it again on Monday and subbed capers for the olives. YUM!
Delicious. I love capers!
Sounds delicious. Except I do not care for black olives. Is there something else that would be good to use? Thank you.
If you like capers, they would work really well!
We are trying to incorporate more fish into our diet and found your recipe. The whole family rated it a “make again” recipe. Lots of flavor for such a simple recipe.
So happy to hear that. Thanks so much for the feedback!
for SCD can this be replaced with almond or coconut flour?
looks so good!
I haven't tried it myself but I'm sure it will be fine.
This is a family fave. It’s so fast & restaurant good. It is amazing if you are out of lime and use lemon or have green olives instead of black or swap whatever herb you have in the fridge.
Thanks so much for your comment. I love this so much too, you made my day!
Tastes like it should be more complicated to make! My whole family enjoyed this dish.
I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed it. And yep, can't get much simpler than this one 🙂
We used the breading on shrimp!! Delicious 🙂 even my kids loved it and they’re a hard crowd to please with protein.
Glad you all enjoyed it Deborah, I love that the kids approved. Thanks for letting me know.