Cornflake-Crusted Cod with Caper Tartar Sauce
owning an organic grab & go shop taught me a lot about what people enjoyed eating on a regular basis. wild-caught seafood was extremely popular, especially when it had comforting and nostalgic flavors. this cornflake-crusted cod with caper tartar sauce was one of our top sellers in the spring months. it has a nostalgic fish stick vibe with a more refined approach and a decadent, elevated tartar sauce. it’s also a simple sheet pan dinner requiring only two small bowls for mixing your cornflake topping and tartar sauce.
the inspiration:
this dish was inspired by the best-seller at our organic grab & go shop. At the time, we did a panko-crusted cod with local and GF breadcrumbs. I thought adding in the cornflake element would be an updated approach with flavors that would pair wonderfully together. The caper tartar sauce is rich, yet briny and the perfect accompaniment to the simple crusted-then-baked fish.
cornflake-crusted cod ingredients:
- wild-caught cod: I grab a family-style bag of frozen, wild-caught cod filets at Costco and it’s a great value.
- organic corn flakes: I love this brand for simple and organic ingredients and purchased it at sprouts.
- aromatics: fresh chives, scallions and shallots flavor the cornflake crust and caper tartar sauce.
- tartar sauce components: greek yogurt, whole grain mustard, vinegar or lemon juice and spicy relish form the base of the sauce.
how to make:
this cornflake-crusted wild cod is a very simple dish with a couple components. begin by making the simple caper tartar sauce. you will use a small amount of the sauce to adhere atop the simply seasoned cod filets. next, crush up the corn flakes with some seasonings and fresh chives to create the crust and gently adhere atop the fish. finally, you will bake the fish and serve it alongside the caper tartar sauce. I like serving this dish with wild rice and a simple salad or roasted green vegetable.
serving inspiration:
This cornflake-crusted cod is extremely versatile and is a wonderful item to meal-prep as well. below are some ideas to switch it up during the week:
- my favorite weeknight dinner: serve as shown with wild rice and a simple French green salad.
- ladies luncheon: serve cod family style on a tray alongside my greek salad with pistachios.
- couples dinner party: serve cod alongside roasted roasted potatoes and roasted asparagus.
- sunday supper: serve cod alongside roasted garlic mashed potatoes and roasted carrots for a cozy nostalgic dish.
Cornflake-Crusted Cod with Caper Tartar Sauce
Ingredients
- four 5-6oz wild cod filets skin-off
- 1 cup cornflakes smashed into breadcrumb texture
- 1 teaspoon chives sliced thinly
- Sprinkling of mineral salt and freshly-cracked black pepper
- 2 Tablespoons scallions thinly sliced
- ½ teaspoon olive oil plus more to drizzle
Caper Tartar Sauce:
- ¼ cup full-fat Greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon whole grain mustard
- ½ teaspoon dijon
- 1 Tablespoon chives sliced thinly
- 1 teaspoon capers rinsed
- 1 teaspoon sweet or spicy pickle relish
- 1 teaspoon shallot minced finely
- ½ teaspoon lemon juice or white wine vinegar
- Sprinkling of mineral salt and freshly-cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Begin by preheating the oven to 400 degrees and lining a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Prepare the Caper Tartar Sauce. In a small bowl, stir together all ingredients. Store in refrigerator for flavors to meld and sauce to chill while you prepare the dish.
- Next prepare the cornflake crust by combining the crushed cornflakes, chives, salt, pepper, scallions and olive oil in a small bowl.
- Dry the fish filets well with paper towels and season liberally on all sides with salt and pepper. Drizzle sheet pan with olive oil and add each fish filet, spaced out. To each filet, add 1/2 teaspoon of tartar sauce to each, spreading all across the fish. This will help your cornflake crust adhere. Chill remaining tartar sauce while fish is cooking.
- To each filet, divide the cornflake crust and pat down gently atop the tartar sauce until each filet is covered. Drizzle fish filets with olive oil and bake on the top rack for 8-10 minutes, depending on thickness, until fish is white and moist and just flakes apart.
- Serve fish atop a couple spoonfuls of tartar sauce alongside rice and a simple salad.
Grain-Free Brown Butter Date Blondies
These Grain-Free Brown Butter Date Blondies have the perfect moist and decadent caramel flavor along with chocolate chips.
GF Spring Chicken Pot Pie Skillet
This GF Spring Chicken Pot Pie Skillet is the perfect cozy and lightened up nod to spring complete with seasonal produce and GF biscuits.
Chicken Hack Salad with Satay Dressing
This Chicken Hack Salad with Satay Dressing is a colorful chopped salad full of texture and bright flavor from a Cashew Satay Dressing.
