Here’s the thing about baked white fish, such as haddock or cod: We know we should eat more of it because it’s such a healthy choice. Trouble is, we also know that most baked white fish is dry and tasteless.
And I speak from experience. I hate to throw my mom under the bus, but her baked fish — while certainly healthy with its minimalist squeeze of lemon and tiny dot or two of butter — was uninspired, flavorless, unsatisfying and, perhaps worst of all, overcooked. My sister and I used to sneak emergency cookies from my mom’s purse on baked fish night just to fill up. So how healthy was it, really?
All of which is why I wanted to change baked fish night for future generations, or at least for my own daughters. My goal for this recipe was to preserve the health benefits of cod or haddock, while making a dish that I would actually crave. I wanted a baked white fish that is a satisfying, comforting, homey food that I could feel good about feeding my family, and that I could make easily on a weeknight.
Enter my baked cod with parsley sauce. I took inspiration from two unlikely bedfellows — the flavorful Argentinian chimichurri sauce and a cassoulet, the ultimate creamy-bean French comfort food. The result was loved by all in my house. OK, most. I won’t say which of my four daughters couldn’t be convinced…