Pan fried cod loin with chorizo sausage, peas and leeks is a show stopper of a meal that is incredibly easy to cook and guaranteed to impress.
Not only is this dish delicious and a real head turner it is stupidly quick to cook too, going from your fridge to your table in around 20 minutes!
Pan Fried Fish with Chorizo
I’m a bit of a fish fiend, I love eating and cooking it, its reputation as being tricky to cook is very much overstated.
This simple pan-fried cod loin recipe cooks in well under 30 minutes and provided that you shop wisely it is pretty foolproof.
Pan-frying fish is hands down the best way to cook either fillet or loin of many types of fish.
I use it on everything from my pan-fried jerk salmon and pan-fried halibut with clams to pan-fried skate wings, pan-fried brill and pan-fried lemon sole meuniere.
The technique used here is identical to the one I use to make my pan-fried hake with samphire. Just like that recipe, this one adds a little Spanish chorizo into the mix.
It is a wonderful flavour with white fish, I lighten the dish with sweet garden peas and leeks.
It is all finished off with butter and a splash of sherry to keep the Spanish influence going in this pan-fried cod loin.
If you find pan-frying fish a little intimidating, then check out my baked hake with romesco sauce recipe.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is “soft” chorizo?
Spanish chorizo comes in two broad types, cured or hard chorizo, which can be eaten without cooking and soft chorizo which does need cooking. This recipe uses the latter.
What is the difference between Spanish and Mexican chorizo?
This is a question often asked by my US readers where Mexican chorizo is the dominant type.
Spanish chorizo is flavoured with paprika whereas Mexican chorizo uses spicy red pepper rather than paprika.
I have never found Mexican chorizo in Europe, so I have no experience of swapping out the ingredients, but I see no reason why it would not work.
Do I have to use cod loin?
No, you could use a fillet but you would need to amend the cooking times to fit with the piece of fish that you have.
I would strongly recommend getting the fish from this recipe either online or from a good fishmonger.
Supermarket cod is usually pretty poor and is cut with the aim of achieving a packet size rather than a piece of fish that is good to cook and eat.
Can I use a different type of fish?
Yes, you could use any meaty white fish. Everything from hake or whiting to pollock, haddock hake or coley work well in this recipe.
Can I substitute the sherry with something else?
If you are fine cooking with alcohol then sub for white wine, if alcohol is the issue add a tablespoon or two of sherry vinegar instead.
Serving Suggestions
This pan fried cod recipe is designed to be a complete medium to light meal, but if you want to bulk it out a little then potatoes are your friend!
Something like my crispy fried potatoes or even Parmentier potatoes are both superb with this.
If you want to keep the Spanish vibe going, then look no further than patatas bravas.
I usually also add some bread to this dish to mop up any butter and paprika sauce from the plate.
Some warmed focaccia or ciabatta are both perfect!
If you were looking for something else to serve with just the cod then you could definitely plate this with my fennel and orange pasta recipe.
Equipment Used
I only recommend specific brands of equipment if I think that it makes a material difference to a recipe. If you have any questions feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.
- Stovetop.
- 28cm or 11″ non-stick frying pan.
- 24cm or 9½-10″ non-stick frying pan.
- Chopping board.
- Sharp kitchen knife.
- Kitchen paper.
- Weighing scales and or measuring cups and spoons.
- Fish slice or palate knife.
- Sieve or colander.
Pan Fried Cod Recipe with Chorizo, Peas and Leeks
This Pan Fried Cod with Peas and Leeks is livened up with a little chorizo and represents the best of early spring for me, and the kicker is it is all cooked in well under 30 minutes!
Ingredients
- 400g (14oz) Skin On Cod Loin
- 50g (3 Tbsp + 1 Tsp) Butter
- ¼ Tsp Salt
- 1 Tbsp Rapeseed (Canola) Oil
- 150g (5oz) Soft Spanish Chorizo
- 200g (2 Cups) Leeks
- 200g (1½ Cups) Peas
- 1 Sprig Fresh Thyme
- 50ml (3 Tbsp + 1 Tsp) Sherry
Instructions
- Dry the skin of the cod on kitchen paper.
- If you are using frozen peas place them in a sieve or colander and run them under cold water for 34- minutes to defrost them.
- Clean the leek, remove any tough outer leaves and then cut them into rings around 2-3mm (⅛") thick.
- Remove the skin from the chorizo sausage and tear it into 1.5-2cm (½-¾") pieces.
- Take a large (28cm or 11") nonstick frying pan and heat it over a fairly high heat.
- Add the chorizo and cook for 3-4 minutes or until it begins to colour and the oils begin to flow.
- Throw in the leeks and thyme and cook for a further 3-4 minutes tossing regularly.
- As soon as the leeks go into the pan it is time to begin frying the fish, have a second smaller (24cm or 9½-10") nonstick pan over a high heat and add the rapeseed oil.
- Add the cod and cook it skin-side down for 3 minutes, do not touch the fish, let it sit.
- After 3 minutes flip the fish, and add half of the butter and cook it for 2 more minutes, basting with the butter occasionally.
- As soon as you flip the cod add the remaining butter, peas and sherry to the chorizo and leeks, tossing regularly.
- Plate up with a base of the peas and chorizo, add the cod and serve immediately.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
2Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 830Total Fat: 48gSaturated Fat: 18gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 27gCholesterol: 203mgSodium: 1621mgCarbohydrates: 26gFiber: 7gSugar: 8gProtein: 70g
Calorific details are provided by a third-party application and are to be used as indicative figures only.
Georgina Barrow
Monday 16th of April 2018
Hi we don't use alcohol so would it be ok to substitute a veg stock instead? Thanks Georgina
Brian Jones
Monday 16th of April 2018
Of course, it is your food so you should work it as you wish... Stock does not have same 'tart' nature that wine does so will reduce the complexity of the dish, grape juice makes for a pretty decent non alcoholic substitute if you want to skip wine :)
Tara
Friday 6th of April 2018
Such a gorgeous piece of fish! I don't take advantage of our abundance of cod nearly enough. I love the pop of color from the peas and salami.
Brian Jones
Saturday 7th of April 2018
Thanks Tara
Jacque Hastert
Friday 6th of April 2018
Nothing beats good cod during the summer months. I am pinning this for later.
Brian Jones
Saturday 7th of April 2018
Thank you, enjoy!
Veena Azmanov
Friday 6th of April 2018
Oh how beautiful this recipe looks. I really like. This is a great dinner for me and my family. I definitely want to try this, and I'm sure it's very tasty. Thank you for sharing this great recipe. YUM!
Brian Jones
Saturday 7th of April 2018
Thanks Veena
Christine @ Happy Veggie Kitchen
Friday 6th of April 2018
Yay for springtime, simple flavours and cooking with wine! I love the simplicity of this and those crisp leeks look amazing.
Brian Jones
Saturday 7th of April 2018
Teehee, wine is good for cooking all year round ;)