Weekends by the sea inspired this simple fish dish – cabillaud au vapeur (sounds more fun than steamed cod!) is a summer Provencal standby.
I’ll admit, summer months make me a little lazy about cooking. I know a lot of you may feel the same. Peak produce is so abundant and using heat to cook often seems unnecessary (and you may want to avoid it if it’s boiling outside!).
I had a stunning steamed cabillaud (cod) in Paris that reminded me how great fresh fish could be in its simplicity. The steaming broth has only a few ingredients, with an emphasis on aromatics – it is made with onions, tarragon, lemongrass, and lime.
I served this alongside sweet caramelized grilled endive (endive – so under appreciated! You can do so much with it: hint, hint).
Also great with asparagus or a side of jasmine rice.
- 1 lb fresh, wild caught cod
- half a white onion, sliced
- 1 stalk of lemongrass, chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh tarragon, chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped
- 1 fresh lime
- salt, pepper
- olive oil
- Place onion, lemongrass, tarragon, the juice of half of the lime, a tablespoon of oil, a pinch of salt and pepper, and two quarts of water into a deep pot (that can fit a steamer on top). Cover and bring to boil.
- Reduce to a simmer that's producing steam under the cover. Secure the steamer with fish on top of the pot, cover, and cook for 10-12 minutes. *you can also place the fish directly into the broth, just note that it will cook faster that way*
- The steamed cod should be flaky and light. Top it with fresh chives and more lime juice before serving.
And if you add mayo, hard boiled egg and potato, you’ll have Aioli! Right?
Right! 🙂
This is beautifully simple. And gorgeous photos. I need to remind myself to also cook fish in packets (paquets!) more often. I just forget about that technique!
Thanks so much, Mimi! And I agree – it’s so simple, but a great way to (literally) pack in flavors.
This looks like a perfect meal for the hot summer we’ve been having here. The flavours sound wonderful!
Thank you so much! I love all the flavors together 🙂
It should be ??Cabillaud à la vapeur??, although it wouldn’t change the taste.?
thank you!
??Cabillaud vapeur?? sounds well too!