July 28, 2026 Rebecca Taylor

Garden-Inspired Wok Poached Cod

Yield:

3 servings

Some recipes are made for the season. This is one of them.

Tender cod fillets gently poached in a fragrant broth of white wine, fish stock, fresh ginger, shishito peppers, and spring onions — finished with butter and served straight from the Anolon carbon steel wok. It's light, deeply flavorful, and the kind of dish that tastes like it took far more effort than it did.

The secret is in the broth. Building it low and slow in the wok coaxes every bit of flavor from the aromatics before the fish ever hits the pan. When the cod nestles in, it poaches gently — staying tender, flaky, and perfectly seasoned all the way through. Finish with a bitter summer salad, a heel of crusty bread to catch the broth, and a tomato Campari spritz on the side.

This is a garden dinner worth lingering over.

Ingredients

3 cod fillets (about 6 oz each), patted dry

Salt and freshly cracked black pepper

2 tbsp peanut oil

4 spring onions, roughly chopped

1 handful shishito peppers

1 small shallot, thinly sliced

1 knob fresh ginger, thinly sliced

2 cups fish stock

1 cup dry white wine

Soy sauce, to taste (about 2–4 tbsp)

2 tbsp butter

Directions

1. Build the broth: Heat the peanut oil in your Anolon carbon steel wok over medium-high heat. Add the spring onions, shishito peppers, shallot, and ginger. Cook for 3–4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and beginning to soften. Pour in the fish stock and white wine. Add a few generous splashes of soy sauce and bring to a gentle simmer. Taste and adjust with additional soy sauce as needed.

2. Poach the cod: Season the cod fillets with salt and pepper. Nestle them into the simmering broth and add the butter. Reduce the heat slightly and gently poach for 4–6 minutes, depending on thickness, until the fish is opaque and flakes easily with a fork. The gentler the poach, the more delicate the fish will remain — avoid letting the broth come to a full boil.

3. Rest: Remove the wok from the heat and let the fish rest in the broth for a minute or two before serving.

4. Serve: Spoon the broth, vegetables, and cod into shallow bowls. Serve alongside a bitter summer salad and a heel of crusty bread to catch every last drop of broth. Best enjoyed outside with a tomato Campari spritz.

Tags:Fish & Seaood, Grilled, Wok & Stir-Fry