Thai-Inspired Coconut Lemongrass Poached Fish
This Thai-Inspired Coconut Lemongrass Poached Fish features a bright, coconutty, and aromatic broth and perfectly cooked cod. The recipe comes together in about 35 minutes too, making it a fantastic weeknight dinner option.
Why You’ll Love This Dish
We love this dish and we think you will too! Here are some of the details that make this recipe special:
- One pot wonder. You don’t have to worry about too many dishes with this recipe because it is all cooked in the same sauté pan. We’re all about recipes that make cleanup easier!
- Delicately cooked fish that won’t ever be dry. Poaching the cod in a coconut broth keeps it moist and delicate. This method of cooking is perfect for a leaner, lighter fish like cod because the coconut milk gives it a buttery texture and flavor.
- Quick and easy. The poaching liquid is pretty simple to make, and cooking the fish this way is fairly hands-off. Cod cooks quickly too, so this meal can be on your table in about 35 minutes!
Thai-Inspired Flavors
Our dad grew up in Thailand and he shared his love of Thai flavors with us. This dish is inspired by food from that region. We love using Thai ingredients like lemongrass, ginger, coconut milk, Thai chilis, and fish sauce. This recipe has all of those, plus fresh Thai basil for subtle anise or licorice notes (if you can’t find this, you can leave it out).
Lemongrass
Lemongrass, an edible member of the grass family, is a common ingredient in Southeast Asian food. It has a mild citrus flavor and it adds subtle floral, grassy notes to Thai curries and stir fries. Lemongrass is very woody, so many recipes call for it to be minced very finely or grated it on a microplane. Alternatively, you can bruise lemongrass to release its natural oils, then steep it in sauces so that it imparts its flavor, which is what we’ve done here.
Ginger
Ginger is a rhizome (although it’s usually referred to as a root) that’s common to many different cuisines. While it resembles its cousin and popular Thai ingredient, galangal (which has a piney, slightly citrusy flavor), ginger is totally different in taste. It imparts a warm, spicy, and peppery flavor to this recipe. It is also an important ingredient in classic Thai dishes like Ginger Chicken Stir Fry (Gai Pad Khing).
Coconut Milk
Coconut milk is one of our favorite ingredients. Our pantry is almost always stocked with several cans. Be sure to use a nice fatty brand for Thai dishes like this. If you want a lighter option in this recipe, you can replace 1 can of coconut milk with 14 ounces of vegetable, seafood, or chicken broth. Just be sure to adjust the amount of fish sauce because many broth options are much saltier than coconut milk, so you’ll need less added salt overall.
Thai Chili Peppers
Thai chilies have a reputation for being spicy, but this dish isn’t too hot overall. We like using Thai chilies in this recipe because they provide a lot of flavor, and the creamy, fatty coconut milk cuts the spice. If you can’t find them, you could use serranos, jalapeños, or even Fresno chilies.
Fish Sauce
Fish sauce is a vital ingredient in Thai cooking. Made from fermented, salted fish, fish sauce has a salty, umami flavor. It isn’t as salty or as concentrated as pure salt, though, so you can get away with using a bit more. When cooking Thai-inspired food, we usually opt for getting most or all of our salt flavor from fish sauce, which is why you’ll see more of it in this dish than you might in some other recipes. When mixed with coconut milk, ginger, lemongrass, and the other ingredients in this poached fish recipe, the fish sauce does not come off as too strong.
Ingredients in Thai-Inspired Coconut Lemongrass Poached Fish
To make this recipe, you will need the following ingredients:
- Coconut milk – use a full fat version for best results.
- Fish sauce – we like Squid or Shrimp brand best, but Red Boat or Tiparos are also popular options.
- Shallots – we love leaving these in slices, but you could also mince them if you’d rather.
- Ginger – we like to use a microplane to grate ginger. It’s easier than mincing with a knife.
- Thai chili – no one likes cutting hot peppers and then touching their eye, so to avoid this, you can rub oil on your fingertips before handling the peppers.
- Lemongrass – you’ll only use the lower 6-8 inches of each lemongrass stalk. To prep it, lightly smash the lower 8 inches of each stalk with the back (not sharp part) of a knife to bruise it. You could also use a meat mallet. Then cut the lower part of the stalk into 2 inch pieces. These will steep in the coconut broth and impart a ton of flavor.
- Thai basil – if you can’t find this, you can leave it out. It tastes great in this dish, but omitting it won’t ruin it either.
- Lime – a little squeeze of fresh lime juice helps to brighten up the rich coconut broth.
- Cooked jasmine rice – we love plating this fish on a bed of cooked jasmine rice and spooning extra coconut milk broth over the top.
- Green onions & cilantro – these are the perfect garnish for this dish because they provide a pop of color and fresh flavor.
- Chili oil (optional) – if you want more heat or color, you can add a little chili oil.
How to Make This Thai-Inspired Coconut Lemongrass Poached Fish
First, lightly season each piece of fish with a little salt on both sides. This will ensure that the fish isn’t bland when it cooks in the coconut broth. Be careful not to overdo it, though, because you’ll be adding fish sauce for saltiness in the coconut broth later too.
Next, heat two tablespoons of oil in a pan that has a lid. Add the shallots and saute them for about 5 minutes.
Add the grated ginger, lemongrass, and Thai chili and saute for another 2 minutes, then add the coconut milk and the fish sauce.
Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 20 minutes.
Add the Thai basil, if using, and a squeeze of lime (you can add more than a squeeze if you want it to be more sour). Taste the broth for seasoning and adjust if necessary.
Gently place the fish filets into the coconut milk, making sure they get covered by the liquid.
Bring the liquid back up to a simmer and cook for another 7 to 8 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish, until its internal temperature registers between 130°F and 140°F. Remove the lemongrass stalks and discard them.
Plate the fish on top of a pile of cooked jasmine rice and spoon some of the coconut milk over it. Garnish with cilantro, green onions, chili oil (optional), and a lime wedge.
Thai-Inspired Coconut Lemongrass Poached Fish
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds cod filets, about 4 medium-sized filets
- 2 cans, 13.5 oz each coconut milk
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 3 shallots, sliced
- 2 tsp grated ginger
- 1 red Thai chili pepper, sliced thin*
- 2 tbsp oil
- 3 8-inch stalks lemongrass, bruised with the back of a knife and cut into 2-3 inch pieces
- 1 bunch Thai Basil
- Squeeze of lime
- Couple pinches of salt
- Cooked jasmine rice, for serving
- Lime wedge, for serving
- Green onions, sliced, for serving
- Cilantro, chopped, for serving
- Chili oil, optional, for serving
Instructions
- Lightly season each piece of fish with a little salt on both sides. Be careful not to overdo it, though, because you’ll be adding fish sauce later too.1 ½ pounds cod filets, Couple pinches of salt
- Heat two tablespoons of oil in a pan that has a lid.2 tbsp oil
- Add the shallots to the pan and cook for about 5 minutes.3 shallots
- Add ginger, lemongrass, and Thai chili and sauté for another 2 minutes.2 tsp grated ginger, 3 8-inch stalks lemongrass, bruised with the back of a knife and cut into 2-3 inch pieces, 1 red Thai chili pepper
- Add the coconut milk and fish sauce.2 cans, 2 tbsp fish sauce
- Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 20 minutes.
- Add the Thai basil (if using), a squeeze of lime (add more if you want it to be more sour), and taste for seasoning (add more fish sauce or salt, if desired).1 bunch Thai Basil, Squeeze of lime
- Gently place the fish filets in the coconut milk, making sure they get covered by the liquid.1 ½ pounds cod filets
- Bring the liquid back up to a simmer and cook for another 7-8 min (depending on thickness of fish), until its internal temperature registers between 130F and 140F.
- Plate the fish on top of a pile of cooked jasmine rice and spoon some of the coconut milk over it. Garnish with cilantro, green onions, chili oil (optional), and a lime wedge.Cooked jasmine rice, Lime wedge, Green onions, Cilantro, Chili oil
Yummmm!
Thanks, Alex!