This Pan-Seared Cod with Kentucky Bourbon features flaky white cod topped with a sweet bourbon sauce. And it’s ready in about 15 minutes!
This post is sponsored by Orca Bay, but as always, all opinions are my own.
Years ago, long before I happily devoured seafood day after day, I ordered a bourbon-glazed fish at a restaurant… and was AMAZED. That happy day, I discovered that bourbon and seafood are a fantabulously delicious combination, and I wanted more!
This Kentucky Bourbon Pan-Seared Cod is perfect for a fancy-schmancy date night and bourbon-filled Derby Day parties, but is so quick, easy, and delicious that you could make it for a weeknight dinner too!
Is All Cod Sustainably Sourced?
No. Look for cod from Alaska. Alaska’s pristine waters have a healthy supply of cod, and are generally sustainably-caught.
If you can’t find Alaska cod, stick with other wild Pacific cod or farmed Atlantic cod. Avoid wild Atlantic cod, because these cod have been over-fished and are currently on the Seafood Watch’s avoid list.
I grabbed my Alaska cod from Orca Bay. Their delicious, flaky cod is reliably high-quality, and you can find it in the frozen fish aisle.
Find Orca Bay locally: Use their store finder.
Pan-Seared Cod with Kentucky Bourbon
How to Make a Gastrique
For this decadent Kentucky Bourbon Pan-Seared Cod, you’re going to need bourbon, honey, balsamic vinegar, a little butter and olive oil, and a few fresh herbs.
Oh, and cod. Don’t forget the cod!
Fist, gather all the ingredients for your “gastrique.” (‘Gastrique’ is a French word that means… ‘extra super-duper-fancy-pants sauce,’ — I believe that’s a direct translation. Don’t quote me.)
Combine the bourbon and balsamic, and set it aside (but within arm’s reach). Pour the honey into a small saucepan over medium heat, and it should start bubbling within 1-2 minutes. Once the bubbles start, stir it with a wooden spoon until the honey turns a dark amber color.
As soon as– and I do mean AS SOON AS– the honey darkens, grab the bourbon-balsamic mixture and, standing as far back from the pan as possible to avoid getting splashed, pour the mixture in. Continue stirring for another couple of minutes, until the sauce starts to thicken.
Pan-Seared Cod with Kentucky Bourbon
How to Pan-Sear Cod
Since cod takes a little longer to sear than a thinner fish would, I like to use both butter and olive oil when I’m searing it. That way, the butter doesn’t brown as quickly and the oil doesn’t start smoking. Heat your butter and oil in a heavy bottom pan over medium-high heat.
Once the pan is hot, add the cod and DO NOT TOUCH IT. Leave it alone, and set a timer for 4 minutes. Then, flip it, and cook it for another 4 minutes. When it’s finished, the flesh should be white and flaky in the center, with seared golden edges.
Drizzle the seared cod with your bourbon gastrique, and top everything off with some fresh herbs. Serve it right away, and savor each bite of this decadently rich fish dinner!
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Pan-Seared Cod with Kentucky Bourbon
This Pan-Seared Cod with Kentucky Bourbon features flaky white cod topped with a sweet bourbon sauce. And it’s ready in about 15 minutes!
Ingredients
- 2 cod fillets (~4 oz each) (recommendation- Orca Bay cod)
- 1 TB butter
- 1/2 TB olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup bourbon
- 1/4 cup honey OR sorghum syrup
- diced green onion, parsley, and or basil to serve (optional)
Instructions
Pat cod dry, and then pat it dry again. Allow it to come to room temperature.
Meanwhile, pour balsamic vinegar and bourbon together and set aside. Keep the balsamic-bourbon mixture within arm's reach, so that you can grab it quickly when the honey is ready.
Pour honey into a small, heavy bottom pot and turn heat to medium. In about 1-2 minutes, the honey should start to bubble. Stir it with a wooden spoon until the honey darkens in color and turns amber (about 3 more minutes). (*Note- The caramelizing honey will be EXTREMELY hot. Do not touch it or attempt to taste it at this point.)
Carefully, standing back from the pot in case of splash-back, pour the balsamic and bourbon mixture into the pot with the honey. Stir, and cook for 1-2 more minutes. Take sauce off the heat, and set aside. (*Note- If the sauce cools and thickens too much while the fish is cooking, simply set it back on the heat for about a minute, or until it heats up again.)
Heat butter and olive oil in a heavy bottom pan over medium-high heat.
Salt both sides of the cod.
Set cod in hot pan, and DO NOT TOUCH IT. Set a timer for 4 minutes, and don't touch the cod until the timer goes off. (If your butter smokes a little, lower the heat slightly.)
Next, use a thin metal spatula to flip the cod. If it sticks to the pan, wait another 30 seconds. The fish will release when it's done cooking. Cook for another 4 minutes, and transfer to plates.
Serve fish immediately with bourbon sauce, along with fresh herbs (optional).
Recipe Notes
Recipe Variation: Substitute the honey for sorghum syrup (a thick syrup made from sugar cane) or molasses
![[ad] This Kentucky Bourbon Pan-Seared Cod features flaky white cod topped with a sweet bourbon sauce. It's perfect for date night or Derby Day! Best of all-- it's ready in about 15 minutes!](https://champagne-tastes.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/ky-bourbon-seared-cod2-graphic.jpg)
Ooo, never thought of adding a bourbon flavor to cod, but this sounds absolutely delicious!
It’s soooo good this way!!!
This recipe looks sooo good! I love cod. It’s such a beautifully flaky fish. And that bourbon sauce looks amazing! Great tips on choosing high quality fish too. I’ll definitely look into Orca Bay. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Alyssa! And yes, try their fish! They’re my fav 😀
I love the idea of making fish with a bourbon glaze! And, thanks for letting me know about Orca Bay – I’m always looking for high-quality, sustainable seafood!
Oh wow! I’ve never had cod with bourbon before. I mean, I’ve had bourbon, I’ve had cod, but not together! This looks so good. That glaze? Um, yes please! I’ve been really picky with my seafood lately and going to have to check out Orca Bay. Thanks so much 🙂
Give it a try!!! (And yes, check them out! The better quality the fish, the better the flavor!!)
That Kentucky Bourbon sauce looks amazing!!! Drizzled on top of that beautiful sear-so much drooling going on right now! It is so hard to be patient and wait for the right time to flip the fish. I think I’ve finally gotten it down but still, I sometimes feel like I have to sit on my hands in order to not flip too soon.
lol yes! And if you flip too soon, sometimes it doesn’t sear as prettily! Just walk away and let it cook haha 😀
Can I use molasses instead of sorghum?
I haven’t tried it with molasses, but I THINK it would be fine! Since molasses isn’t quite as sweet as sorghum, I’d expect it to be a little less sweet overall (but that could be really good!). Let me know how it turns out if you try it! I don’t have any molasses on hand or I’d do it myself (it sounds yummy!)
I have gobs of molasses so, I had to ask! I will definitely let you know!
Awesome yes! I have so much sorghum that I haven’t picked up any molasses recently 😁
You are so right that using the best fish is so important. I’ve even had substandard fish from places that say it’s fresh. Being land locked I buy more frozen and read the labels where it was farmed. I love the bourbon glaze that you put on this beautiful fish. We will definitely be trying it.
Wow! I have fish in the freezer and bourbon in the cupboard so I’m trying this one tonight!
Nice! Let me know how you like it!
We eat fish at least three times per week and cod is usually on our menu. I feel fortunate to have a reputable fish monger about 2 miles from my house (they’re not cheap, but they’re good) and I’m there often enough that I get the “friends and family” discount LOL! Next time I’m in, I’ll pick up some cod for this recipe. We love cooking with bourbon here, too — I make a bourbon glazed salmon that everyone loves. I wish you lived closer, we could taste test each other’s recipes!
Aw man I’d totally go fish shopping with you too!! We could be fish friends lololol. Let me know how you like it!!
I have cooked a lot of seafood over the years, but I have yet to use bourbon (or any whiskey for that matter) as a flavour. Gotta say, I’m very impressed, and very curious. Cod is such a lovely fish, and it’s neutral enough to do so many things with, so I’m sure that this is absolutely incredible. As always, I appreciate your passion for sustainable and transparent seafood. I’m not sure if Orca Bay sells here in Canada (I’m sooooo close to Washington anyway), but I like their commitment to the same principles. Cheers.
I’m not positive if they ship to Canada or not!!! But they’re located in Seattle, so you’re super close to them!!!! Let me know if you give this a try!
Thank you so much for the information. When we eat fish or any seafood, for that matter, we want to know the source of it. I totally agree that it tastes much better. It’s more expensive, this way, we eat less meat and fish for dinner, and we focus on quality.
That’s an awesome strategy- you’re right it can be a little pricier this way (but not too bad!!)
Yum. I love Cod fish. I love Bourbon so this recipe looks perfect. Perfect and delicious! And yes, I agree about needing to source your fish to get the best fish available.
You had me at Kentucky bourbon! This is just the recipe I’m craving. Can’t wait to try this out with the family tomorrow, yum!
This sauce is amazing wanted to lick it off the plate. Awesome easy recipe had it will simply sautéed green bean. Thinking asparagus next time.
Aw thank you Sophie!!! I’m glad you loved it!
This dish is truly palatable and my mouth is watering right now! Can I use maple syrup instead of honey?
Thanks Agness! You sure can!