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Soy Butter Fish and Peas 

By Andy Baraghani

Updated Aug. 5, 2025

Soy Butter Fish and Peas 
Joel Goldberg for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Hadas Smirnoff.
Total Time
20 minutes
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
10 minutes
Rating
5(268)
Comments
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Some dishes feel like they take hours to develop deep flavor, but this one comes together in minutes. The fish gently steams in a rich, buttery soy and black pepper sauce, soaking up its deeply savory notes while staying perfectly tender. Just before serving, snap peas (or snow peas) are tossed in, adding a fresh green crunch. Everything cooks in one pan, making this dish fast, effortless and packed with flavor. Feel free to swap in other quick-cooking vegetables like bok choy or asparagus for a different take.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 1¼pounds skinless white fish (such as cod, hake or halibut), cut into 4 pieces 
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper 
  • ¼cup unsalted butter 
  • 3tablespoons soy sauce 
  • 3tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar 
  • 1(2-inch) piece (unpeeled) ginger, thinly sliced into rounds 
  • 3cups (about 12 ounces) snow peas or snap peas (or a mix)
  • 1cup coarsely chopped cilantro 
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

268 calories; 13 grams fat; 7 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 4 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 8 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 4 grams sugars; 29 grams protein; 743 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 the fish on all sides with salt and set aside.

  2. Step 2

    Melt the butter in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Once the butter is melted, stir in the soy sauce, vinegar and ginger. Season with about 6 cranks of pepper (or ½ teaspoon, if you’re measuring).

  3. Step 3

    Using tongs, gently lay the pieces of fish in the pan. Cover the skillet and steam until the fish is almost fully opaque, 3 to 5 minutes.

  4. Step 4

    Uncover and sprinkle the snow peas over the fish. Cover the skillet again and continue to steam until the fish is fully opaque and cooked through and the peas are bright green, 1 to 2 minutes.

  5. Step 5

    Garnish with cilantro and serve directly from the pan or transfer to a platter.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
268 user ratings
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Comments

SK

Adding vinegar and soy sauce to medium hot butter is a recipe for explosive reaction. Melt butter over medium heat and gently add vinegar, soy. You have been warned.

Lilcat

Delicious! I didn’t have ginger so used minced shallot sauteed in the butter until translucent then added the soy/vinegar. Added sliced shiitake mushrooms with the snow peas. Served with steamed jasmine rice.

Rick T

Made as directed with cod and snow peas. Delicious. The fish was perfectly cooked, but the peas a little underdone for my taste. Next time I will blanch them for a minute or so and hold in cold water while starting the fish.

Pat B

Made this with swordfish instead of halibut because, incredibly, swordfish was almost half the cost of halibut. It worked out beautifully. Great recipe!

Sharon

Very good and simple! I served the dish with white rice and sliced fresh pineapple. Delicious.

Michael Napa

Wish I could find fresh chervil to use place of the cilantro. Tried growing it a couple of times with poor/zilch results.

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