Earlier this summer on WAC’s exclusive Facebook Group, Shelby D. posted about her frustrations over cooking with Pacific cod. A member of Wild Alaskan Company since 2019, she recounted in good faith every attempt she’d made to prepare this lean species of white fish — and to no avail. “One hundred percent of the time, [it ended up] hard and rubbery,” she wrote.
Shelby vented about her Pacific cod problems to fellow WAC members in the What’s Cooking Tonight Facebook Community, sparking a robust conversation filled with specific suggestions, shared frustrations, and contrarian opinions, but was still feeling decidedly defeated by this sometimes tricky-to-understand fish.
With Shelby’s running list of failed cooking attempts in mind, WAC teammates Trisha and Kat reached out to arrange a virtual Recipe Redo cooking session. The goal was to try one more approach that wasn’t on her list: steaming. The hope was that this gentle, moist cooking method would help Shelby appreciate the pleasantly bouncy texture of perfectly prepared Pacific cod.
Kat acknowledged that steaming can sound like a bland or boring way to prepare white fish, but had confidence that a simple recipe for Cantonese Steamed Pacific Cod with Ginger and Scallions would win Shelby over. Her instinct was correct: “I've never had it taste like this before,” Shelby revealed, after taking a bite of freshly steamed fish. She prepared two plates of Pacific cod and briefly went off camera to present one of the dishes to her husband.
Shortly after their cookalong, Shelby returned to the Facebook Group to report back. “This time around, or should I say for my first time around, [the Pacific cod] had the texture of perfectly cooked lobster. Not a rubber sole in sight. Even my husband said ‘this is a keeper.’ And the poor man has had to endure so many of my awful cod failures.”
Shelby, in her own words, was no longer a cod disbeliever.
With Shelby’s revelatory experience in mind, here are a few pointers and our top tips for cooking Pacific cod:
-
Pacific cod and Atlantic cod have different textures: Pacific cod and Atlantic cod are distinct species, and thus have unique characteristics. While both are lean and mild in flavor, Pacific cod has a bouncier texture than Atlantic cod. This quality can cause Pacific cod to seem “rubbery” when overcooked.
-
Try adding fat: Since Pacific cod is so lean, it benefits from the addition of fat while being cooked. Use a good quality extra-virgin olive oil or grass-fed butter to enhance the flavors in your dish and help the fillet retain a moist, tender texture.
-
Try a gentle cooking method: Instead of adding fat, you can also try a gentle cooking method like steaming or cooking en papillote. Both of these methods help to preserve Pacific cod’s high moisture content and produce incredibly tender results.
-
Recipes: Shelby and the WAC team made a recipe for Cantonese Steamed Pacific Cod with Ginger and Scallions during their cookalong. If you want to try something different, check out our recipe for Pacific Cod en Papillote with Cherry Tomatoes, Oregano, and Lemon.
- Other ways to cook Pacific cod: If you want to try other cooking methods to enjoy with Pacific cod, check out our step-by-step guides to learn how to bake Pacific cod and how to pan-fry Pacific cod.
