Poached Fish in Coconut Milk with Lemongrass

An Easy Way To Cook Fish

If you’ve always wanted to make seafood at home but haven’t tried it yet, this flaky cod fish in coconut milk is a great place to start. The coconut and lemongrass broth keeps the cod delicate while infusing it with tons of flavor. We love to serve it over jasmine rice for a simple dinner that looks and tastes impressive without requiring much hands-on cooking.

Pull Up A Chair

Rachel: I’m not the biggest fan of all fish dishes, but this is one of my favorites. Cod is really mild and the rich, aromatic coconut broth balances it out and amps it up a lot.

Emily: This is one of my favorite ways to cook fish because it’s not dry and the rich broth has so much flavor.

Why We Seriously Love This Thai-Inspired Fish

• One pot recipe (sort of). We don’t have to worry about too many dishes with this recipe because it’s all cooked in the same sauté pan. We’re all about recipes that make cleanup easier. To keep this truly one pot, we like to serve this with pre-cooked rice (we often use frozen rice that we reheat in the microwave).
• Delicately cooked fish. 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, delicate texture and flavor.
• Easy to prep and cook. The poaching liquid is simple to make, and cooking the fish this way is fairly hands-off. Cod cooks quickly too, so after you prep the ingredients (which you can also do the day before), dinner will be on your table in about 30 minutes!

Understanding Thai-Inspired Flavors

Our dad grew up in Thailand, and he shared his love of Thai flavors with us. This lemongrass fish in coconut milk recipe is inspired by food from that region. Here are some traditional Thai ingredients we love using:

• Lemongrass: It has a mild citrus flavor and it adds subtle floral, grassy notes to Thai curries and stir fries. Lemongrass is very woody, so you don’t want to eat big bites of it. Because it’s fibrous, you want to smash it to release the flavor and use it whole, or mince it finely. We’ve also grated into dishes before. 
• Ginger: a rhizome that imparts a warm, spicy, and peppery flavor. Grate, chop, mince, or steep it. 
• Galangal: ginger’s piney cousin that’s used in many popular Thai dishes, like tom kha gai. A lot of recipes say that you can substitute ginger for galangal but they don’t taste the same, so if you can’t find galangal for a recipe, just leave it out. 
• Coconut milk: one of our favorite ingredients. Some brands are richer and more flavorful than others, but use what you like. 
• Thai chilies: Thai chilies are much spicier than jalapeños, but milder than habanero peppers. The orange and red ones are hotter than the green. 
• Thai basil: a type of basil, but a bit more bright and floral than Italian basil, with licorice notes. If you can’t find it, you can usually use Italian basil but it’ll have a slightly different flavor.
• Fish sauce: a vital ingredient in Thai cooking. Made from fermented, salted fish, it usually 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. 
• Curry paste: a paste that acts as the flavor base for Thai curries. Thai curry pastes vary in ingredients, but in general, they’re usually made up of aromatics, alliums, herbs, chilies, spices, and sometimes fish sauce and/or shrimp paste.
• Palm sugar: palm sugar is the sweetness of choice in many Thai dishes. It has a mild, almost butterscotch flavor.
• Makrut lime leaves: the aromatic leaves of the makrut lime tree. These are essential to Thai cuisine. They’re fibrous, but when sliced thin or lightly bruised and steeped in curries our soups, they add an herby, citrusy, almost floral flavor to Thai food.

Ingredients in the Thai-Inspired Coconut Lemongrass Poached Fish

To make this recipe, you will need the following ingredients:

• Coconut milk – full fat works best. For a lighter option, you can replace 1 can of coconut milk with 14 ounces of low-sodium vegetable, seafood, or chicken broth. 
• Fish sauce – we like Squid or Shrimp brand, but Red Boat or Tipparos are also decent. 
• Shallots – leave them in slices or mince them.
• Ginger – peel it then grate it on a microplane (easiest) or mince it with a knife.
• Thai chilies – mixing the chilies with full fat coconut milk helps mellow out the heat. You can also use serranos, jalapeños, or even Fresno chilies.
• Lemongrass – you’ll only use the lower 6-8 inches of each lemongrass stalk. 
• Thai basil – if you can’t find this, you can leave it out or replace it with regular basil. 
• Lime – fresh lime is best for adding brightness to the dish.
• Optional additions – cooked jasmine rice for serving and diced green onions and chili oil for garnish.

How to Make Fish in Coconut Milk with Lemongrass

1. Heat two tablespoons of oil in a 12-inch saute pan that has a lid and at least 2-inch high sides. 
2. Add the shallots and saute them for about 5 minutes, then add the ginger, lemongrass, and Thai chili and saute for another 2 minutes.
3. Add the coconut milk and the fish sauce and bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 20 minutes for the flavors to deepen. 

4. Add the Thai basil and lime, then taste the broth for seasoning and adjust if necessary. If it needs more seasoning, add more fish sauce or salt.
5. Gently place the fish filets into the coconut milk, making sure they get covered by the liquid.

6. Bring the liquid up to a simmer and cook for another 7 to 10 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.
7. Plate the fish on top of a pile of cooked jasmine rice (optional) and spoon some of the coconut broth over it. Garnish with green onions and chili oil, if using.