Gorgeous green coconut cod with watermelon radish slaw

Restaurant-worthy and ready in less than 30

Hi, friends. Today is Easter but it’s also Sunday, which is our normal newsletter day, so newsletter we shall. I considered for a hot second waiting until tomorrow to send this one out, but quickly vetoed that though because this recipe is so fresh and vibrant and light and easy, I knew you’d want it on hand for that post-holiday meal planning. And if you don’t celebrate Easter, well then dinner tonight is served.

This week, we’re making a recipe that’s short on time but big on flavor and wow-factor. It’s cod that is quickly cooked in a green coconutty sauce that’s absolutely packed with veggies, served over rice and topped with a crunchy, zesty watermelon radish slaw. The flavors! The colors! The textures! The temperatures! This meal has it all. And because I love you and I know no one wants to spend a ton of time in the kitchen after cooking up a big holiday meal, this one is ready in under 30 minutes.

Looking for something more Easter-y to make?

Check out last week’s newsletter, which featured a four-course springy garden party menu that’s perfect for celebrating. Loaded hummus with roasted spring veggies and pesto, za’atar lamb chops over spring veggie farro, a green goddess Caesar tahini wedge, and lavender blueberry brown butter Rice Krispies treats.

But now, tell me more about this cod

You guys, this cod!! I’ve been wanting to make a 2.0 version of my cod simmered in tomatoes, summer squash, and olives with herbes de Provence, which is a forever favorite for quite a few of my readers, for quite some time now, but I’m a firm believer that the best recipes can’t be forced — they have to just come to you. And when this one came to me, I knew it was gonna ah-mazing.

It starts by quickly sautéing some aromatics, then adding in a lot of green veggies and letting that stew for a quick second — just until they get soft. We then blend that all up with coconut milk, put it back in our pan, throw a cod fillets in there to quickly poach in the sauce and voilà!

The slaw takes it to the next level by adding so much crunch and brightness and a little cold element on the plate, but you could 100% skip it if you’re feeling lazy. But we are very much team side salad/slaw here at Saturday Table, so I definitely recommend it.

TL;DR: How we’re elevating the everyday

Creating a restaurant-worthy meal that tastes as elegant as it looks, and is low-effort and quick enough for any night of the week.

Before we start

• This dish is half inspired by Thai green curry, and half inspired by all of the verdant, creamy green spring lasagnas I’ve seen popping up on my Instagram home page. It’s different than Thai curry because we’re not using curry paste and we’re blending our veggies into our sauce. The texture is lush and viscous and perfectly coats the fish and the rice we’re serving it on.

• If you don’t like cod or can’t find any near you, you can easily sub in halibut, sea bass, haddock, sole, flounder, tilapia, or any other white fish.

• I usually find watermelon radish at the farmers market or Whole Foods, though I’ve also seen it at Jon’s, if you’re in LA. If you can’t find it, daikon radish or regular radish works just fine.

• Opt for real coconut milk — the kind in the can, not the pourable, more liquid-y stuff in the carton.

The recipe

Serves: 4

Ready in: 30-ish minutes