Coconut-Poached Fish With Bok Choy

By Colu Henry

Coconut-Poached Fish With Bok Choy
Linda Xiao for The New York Times
Total Time
25 minutes
Rating
5(2,565)
Comments
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This one pot, Thai-influenced dish couldn’t be easier to assemble, and its beautiful presentation makes it look like you spent a lot longer on dinner than you actually did. The poaching liquid does double duty by gently cooking the fish and wilting the bok choy. If bok choy is unavailable, another sturdy green, like kale or Napa cabbage, can be substituted. Serve with steamed jasmine rice to soak up some of the fragrant coconut milk broth.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 4(6-ounce) cod fillets or other flaky white fish
  • Kosher salt
  • 2tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
  • 1large shallot, thinly sliced
  • 2garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 1(2-inch) piece ginger, peeled and cut into thin matchsticks
  • 1fresh Thai or Serrano chile, thinly sliced
  • 2(13½-ounce) cans coconut milk
  • 1½teaspoons fish sauce
  • 1teaspoon light brown sugar
  • About 7 ounces baby bok choy, ends trimmed and stalks separated
  • ¼cup roughly chopped cilantro, both leaves and tender stems
  • 2tablespoons thinly sliced scallion greens
  • Lime wedges (from 1 lime), for serving
  • Flaky salt (optional)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

645 calories; 51 grams fat; 38 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 8 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 15 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 4 grams sugars; 40 grams protein; 1082 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Season fish well with salt. In a large sauté pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add shallot, garlic, ginger and chile, and cook, stirring often until they become translucent, about 2 minutes. Season with salt.

  2. Step 2

    Add coconut milk, fish sauce and brown sugar, and whisk together until combined and sugar dissolves. Bring mixture to a gentle simmer. Add cod fillets and turn the heat down to low. Cover and cook until cod is just cooked through and opaque, about 6 to 8 minutes. Carefully remove the fish and plate in bowls.

  3. Step 3

    Add bok choy to the coconut milk broth and turn heat to medium-low. Cook bok choy until leaves are wilted and stems are tender, about 1 to 2 minutes.

  4. Step 4

    Divide bok choy evenly alongside the fish and ladle the coconut milk broth over each portion. Top with cilantro, scallions and a good squeeze of lime, and serve with remaining wedges on the side. Garnish with flaky salt, if desired.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
2,565 user ratings
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Comments

David Hard

I disagree. No sugar needed. At all. Also, Don’t bother with light coconut milk like some suggest. The key to making dishes like this is to use a good quality full fat coconut milk like Chaokoh. American brands like Thai Kitchen or the Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods Store brands just wont cut it. Also, you can amp up the flavor by stirring in a dollop of Mae Ploy green curry paste when your sautéing the shallots and garlic.

Please don't buy Chaokoh

I bought Chaokoh coconut milk because of a comment on here. It tasted great but we found out that they torture monkeys to pick the coconuts. https://www.peta.org/features/chaokoh-coconut-milk-monkeys/ Needless to say we won't be buying it anymore.

Dan Peters

This was a tasty dish that my son and I prepared for our family. I did add more salt and sugar, as suggested by previous comments. Next time, I'll use about twice as much bok choy. I weighed out the ingredients, so I know I used the right amount, it just wasn't enough for my tastes.

Patricia N.B.

This cod recipe is BY FAR one of the best things I’ve cooked this year. It’s so simple and so flavorful. I added the tsp of brown sugar, and I didn’t “taste” the sweetness so. . . ADD THE BROWN SUGAR ALREADY! It adds a flavor note that people might subtly taste but wouldn’t be able to pinpoint. . . as for thinly slicing the garlic and shallots, I minced the garlic and sliced the shallots — as thinly as I could, but not like a pro. These two ingredients will break down into the coconut milk as you’re cooking, so don’t stress over it. And for the trio of scallions, cilantro and lime squeeze, don’t skip these important finishing components. It will round out the whole dish beautifully. A++

No sugar required!

Made this and it was so good that we used the leftover broth to make to again the next night with cod hake! We subbed the bokchoy for roasted broccoli and cabbage and skipped the fish sauce sugar entirely (didn’t need at all) it was absolutely amazing. Also a little parsley on top added some nice color and an alternative to the cilantro :)

roger that

OMG This was insane! So good. I had to swap the bok choy for spinach but that worked well. And I used a piece of Haddock which was very tasty. Lime is the key

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