20 minute Recipe: Cod in White Wine Sauce with Fresh Dill over Lemon Rice Pilaf

This meal only takes 20 mins to cook - but that doesn't mean that this delicate and flavourful white fish recipe won't impress your dinner guests. The fish cooks up quickly in the short amount of time that the rice takes to cook, making it the perfect week night meal.

You don't have to pair this fish with the lemon rice pilaf - although the flavour combination is wonderful - you could also pair it with potatoes for an equally delicious and nutritious weeknight meal. My recommendation would be baby potatoes cooked with some olive oil and herbs with lemon wedges for serving.

A delicious, quick, low effort, and well balanced meal!? What's the catch?

Prep time: approx 5 mins

Cook time: approx 20 mins

Serves: 2-4

What you need:

For the cod:

• 4 boneless, skinless cod fillets, approx 4-5 oz each (tip: I bought 2 large fillets and cut them in half)

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• ½ cup white wine

• ½ cup cream

• 1 bunch fresh dill, chopped

• Salt and pepper to taste

For the lemon rice pilaf:

• 2 cups white rice

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 shallot, chopped

• 3.5 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth of choice)

• Zest and juice form 1 lemon (plus additional wedges for serving, optional)

• 1 tbsp dried oregano

What you do:

1. To start the rice, add the olive oil to a large pot or deep non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Once the pot/pan is hot add the rice, garlic, and shallots and stir until the rice is toasted and nearly translucent and the garlic and shallot are fragrant.

2. Add the broth, lemon zest, lemon juice and oregano to the pot/pan, stir all ingredients together and cover. Once the contents come to a boil, reduce heat and bring to a simmer on low. Allow to simmer for 20 mins, and then remove from heat and allow to rest, covered, for about 5 mins before serving.

3. While the rice cooks, prepare the fish. Start by patting the fillets dry with a paper towel, and sprinkling each side with salt and pepper. In a non-stick skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. It’s important to wait until the oil is very hot before adding the fish to the pan. Add the fillets to the pan, cooking for 4-6 mins per side. Remove from pan and set aside.

4. Add the garlic to the pan and cook until fragrant, less than a min, and then use the wine to deglaze the pan. Once the wine is reduced by half, add the cream, dill, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir until slightly thickened for 2-3 more mins before adding the fish back into the pan and scooping some of the sauce onto each piece. Serve over the rice pilaf – enjoy!